Road Trip
by NinjaCupcakex
Summary: 18-year-olds Star and Marco decide to take a road trip for their spring break during their senior year.
1. The Honeymoon Suite

18-year-old Marco Diaz did not know what he was getting himself into when he explained what a road trip was to his best friend, Star Butterfly. The two were thinking of what to do for spring break of their senior year. They needed it to be immensely epic, completely unforgettable, and utterly magical for the both of them, as this would possibly be the last one they would have together.

"We could spend a week in another dimension?" Star suggested, already holding up her dimensional scissors. The two were laying on Star's bed, Star's torso laid on one side of her bed while Marco's laid on the other side, their heads right next to each other.

"Nah, that's kind of an everyday thing for us." The fact that Marco dismissed the idea of spending a week in another dimension because it was "too common" for them probably seemed so strange to any ordinary person. But Star and Marco crossed the "ordinary" line long ago. It truly proved how Star completely turned his life all around, and he couldn't thank her enough. Whatever they planned to do, it was surely going to be added to their big book of memories. "What about a road trip, just the two of us?" The Mexican boy suggested.

"Road trip?" Star questioned, turning her head to her best friend. He met her gaze almost instantly.

"Yeah! We'll get up real early, drive somewhere hours from here, rent a hotel, and spend the whole week there! My parents and I used to take them all the time. But, I've never taken one with a friend. I'm pretty sure it'd be way more fun to go with my best friend." Marco explained. Star's eyes lit up as he spoke. A whole week away from their home, spending it alone with Marco? Seemed like something she needed desperately.

"Let's go!" Star exclaimed. "Yes! I am totally for it! I wanna do that. ROAD TRIIIIPP!"

Marco couldn't help but smile at her. He loved seeing her get so excited for something as common as this. He thought it was really adorable how she would get excited over the ordinary things of Earth. It was something he learned to cherish of her. "Awesome! We'll have to get everything situated so that we'll be able to get everything set for Monday and stuff. Let's see, today's Friday…" Marco began planning out their week, listing out beach places to go, hotels he thought were nice, but cheap, and other miscellaneous things that they'll be needing for a road trip.

"Alright, Miss Princess Butterfly. We are expected to depart from here on Monday, at promptly 5 AM."

"5 AM?! Why so early?!" Star exclaimed, not really happy with the time she had to get up that day.

"One must always start road trips early if they want to arrive on time! At least, that's how my family's always done it." Marco explained.

"5 AM, Monday. Got it." Star complied with the time. She was going on vacation with her best friend. Just the two of them, alone, on a beach. Getting up early was worth it.

* * *

 **Monday, 5 AM**

Marco was abruptly awaken by a cold pillow colliding with his face at promptly 5 AM. Star. "I'M UP, I'M UP, MOM" was the first thing he shouted to his hyperactive friend, before rolling from his side onto his back, his eyes still closed. This time he felt something different. Someone sitting on his stomach.

"Marcooooo! C'mon! Let's goooo! Let's get this show on the road!" She called out to the sleepy teen, shaking his shoulders, sitting on his stomach. All of a sudden, Star felt the weight shift, and in that brief moment, she was now the submissive one, as Marco pinned her down, holding her wrists. She always forgets he got way more muscle than what he had when they first met. They stared into each other's eyes, almost in a trance, before giggling and then bursting into laughter as Marco finally let go of her wrists and let her sit up.

"You ready?" He asked her, still giving her a smile. She returned the smile, with an excited nod.

"Get dressed, Diaz!"

"Get out, Butterfly!"

The two exchanged more laughter before Star headed out the boy's room to gather up all the luggage, blankets, and snacks. Marco was out in a jiffy with his usual red hoodie and black skinny jeans, saying goodbye to his parents one last time before meeting up with Star to load up everything in the trunk safely. Finally, Marco got into the driver's seat, Star in the passenger's. They shared a silent look before Marco offered his hand. Star took his hand in hers and held it between them.

"To the most epic spring break?" Marco asked.

"To the most epic spring break!" Star answered, squeezing his hand once before letting go. They both shared a laugh before Marco turned on the car and began backing out of the parking lot to start their journey.

"Some tunes, Captain Diaz?" Star asked, after they'd finally been on the road for a few minutes in silence.

"Of course, Navigator Butterfly!" They both smiled as Star turned on the radio and searched the stations to find a good one. Automatically, the two began singing each and every song with the radio on full blast. And just like that, they drove into their spring break. Just the two of them, like it always has been.

* * *

 **Monday, 10 AM, Hotel Lobby**

After hours of singing, laughing, arguing, and road trip games, the pair of best friends finally arrived at the hotel Marco booked. Ferguson's uncle's wife actually owned this hotel, so the room was pretty cheap for the entire week. The two entered the golden lobby with their luggage and walked toward the check-in desk together.

"Hi, how may I help you?" The employee asked Marco in her sweet voice.

"Yes, I need check into a room."

"Okay! I'm going to need your last name, please." The employee asked.

"Diaz" Marco replied.

"Marco?" The employee questioned. Marco nodded and smiled, showing that was him.

"Ah yes, the Honeymoon Suite." The employee said, looking at both Star and Marco with a grin on her face. Star and Marco on the other hand, had very different reactions to those words.

"I-I'm sorry what? Did you just say the Honeymoon Suite? Like, for newlyweds?" Marco stammered, pretty positive it must've been a mistake. He specifically booked a room with two beds. This couldn't be right.

"Yes, sir. It says you booked it on Friday. Is that correct?" Star was equally stunned, unable to say anything. She stared at Marco, wondering how he'd get them out of this mess this time.

"Well, yes, but, there must be some sort of mistake. Can't you, I don't know, move us to a different room?" Marco tried to explain.

"I'm sorry, sir. Due to spring break, our hotel's fully booked. All the hotels close in range are all booked as well. Do you want to cancel the booking instead?" The employee inquired. Marco and Star looked at one another. Marco didn't want to let his best friend down, especially since this might be their first and last road trip together. As for Star, she didn't really mind sharing a bed. How bad could it _really_ be? She didn't care as long as she was with her best friend. The two knew their answer without ever exchanging a syllable as they turned back to the employee.

"No ma'am. We'll take the room as it is." Marco directed toward the employee. The employee smiled grabbing the key to their room.

"Great! I'll just need to see some ID from you, Mr. Diaz, and you and your beautiful girlfriend can go right on up!" Neither of them bothered to correct the employee. In some cases, acting like a couple gets you into things you couldn't do as a single person. They've grown quite used to it. Marco pulled out his wallet and driver's license and sliding it over to the employee. She examined the license before smiling and giving the key and license to Marco. "Enjoy your stay, you two!"

"Thank youuu!" Star exclaimed excitedly, waving to her as she walked toward the elevator with her luggage and Marco walking beside her.

"Alright, 1609, Star. Look for Room 1609." The two perused the hallway of rooms on the 16th floor, looking for their room.

"Found it!" Star exclaimed, extending her arm out for Marco to give her the key.

"Wait. Before we enter, technically, according to the hotel, we are newlyweds."

"Yeeahh, I guess you could say that…" Star had no idea what was going on in Marco's mind, no matter how hard she tried to decipher what he was going to do next. Unpredictable Marco was no laughing matter. You really could never know what he'd do next.

"Well, it is only tradition that we do this…" Marco unlocked the door, but before both of them stepped inside of it, Star felt Marco picking her up bridal style and start walking to the room. Star instantly began giggling and squirming slightly.

"Marco! Put me down!" Star laughed, looking up at Marco.

"As you wish, my dear wife." Marco teased, laughing as well before dropping her down onto the giant heart-shaped bed. Star, still laughing and shaking her head, sat up to see rose petals covering the white linen sheets of the bed.

"Wow, these people go all out on these suites. Rose petals, champagne, His & Hers robes…" Marco also took a look around the room. Star smiled, inspecting all the things in the room. Everything felt so…romantic. The pair checked out the bathroom. A giant tub big enough for two people was in the left-hand corner along with a shower on the right, with the sink, mirror, and toilet on the opposite side. Star took one more look at the suite as a whole again before sitting back down on the edge of the bed.

"I wonder how many people, y'know, have _done things_ in here" Star questioned, looking around at the suite.

"It's the honeymoon suite, so probably every couple who has rented it out, excluding us, of course." Star blushed just thinking about it. From the 4 years that she's been here on Earth, she's had her fair share of "chick flicks" to know just what made things super romantic between a couple, and this suite had it all. Star's mind wondered how it would look like in full mode: dimmed lights, candles on, light music, the romantic aura filling the room. Then, Star's mind imagined both Star and Marco in the suite, which made her blush even more. Shaking her head out of her thoughts, she turned to Marco who'd just got out of the bathroom.

"Marco! Let's hit the pool!" Star exclaimed as soon as she saw him, hopping up to grab the luggage left at the door to get her swimsuit. Anything to get her mind off _those_ thoughts.

"Yeah, let's go. I think we deserve it." Marco agreed, grabbing his luggage to find his swimming trunks. It wasn't until both of them were in the pool that Marco realized 3 things: he was actually on a vacation with his best friend, his best friend was absolutely stunning in her new swimsuit, and he was going to be sharing an extremely romantic bed with her for the week. To an epic spring break vacation, right?

* * *

 **First Starco fic on here! What do you guys think? This was going to be a Tumblr exclusive, but I think i'll post it on here too. Please send feedback for this and my Phinbella story, One Last Time, as I am continuing that still too! Thank you!**

 **~Karina (NinjaCupcakex)**


	2. Elephant

**A/N:** Seriously guys, thank you for all the support and feedback I've been getting! It means so freaking much. It actually makes me excited to make more chapters for you all! Enjoy this chapter!

 **Monday, 3 PM**

3 PM at the hotel's pool was when Star and Marco's spring break finally began. Though it was the middle of the day, there were hardly any people in the pool with them. They didn't mind though; they had the pool to themselves. They were laughing, playing, and being Star and Marco for nearly 2 hours.

"Marcooooo!" Star called, swimming her way to the boy.

"Polooo!" Marco called back jokingly, a cheeky smile on his face. Star replied with a small laugh as she swam closer to Marco. The blonde finally met with her best friend, both of them deciding to sit on the edge of the pool, soaking their feet after they've had their fun of splashing and swimming.

"So, are you having fun so far?" Marco questioned.

"Oh, definitely! Best road trip ever!" Star shouted excitedly.

"Star, this is the only road trip you've taken."

"Well yeah, but this one's the best ever because it's just me and you." Star smiled up at Marco, who smiled back. And he knew that was genuinely how she felt. That was one of Star's best qualities; she was always so honest. Silence once again engulfed them before Marco broke the silence.

"So, what do you wanna do tonight?" He asked, looking at Star. Star blinked twice, her mind going straight back into the thoughts that she was trying to forget. Her mind distorted his voice into a sultry tone that made Star's heart almost beat out of her chest.

She must've taken a while to respond, because Marco was trying to get her attention. "Star? Star? You okay?" He was now waving a hand in front of Star's frozen face.

"H-Huh? Yeah, I'm good! What did you ask again?"

"I just wanted to know if you wanted to do anything tonight?" As much as Marco really did want to have fun adventures with Star, he really just wanted to spend as little time as he could out of the room. It wasn't that he didn't want to sleep in the same bed as her, it was just, the romantic aura that filled the room made him constantly feel like he had to be touching and kissing her at all times.

"I dunno, what are some cool fun places around here?" Star asked.

"I know there's an outdoor cinema not too far from here. And they're playing a movie at 5 PM." Marco informed her. He then felt his arm being pulled by Star.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" She let go to hand him a towel and grab one for herself before going to head inside. Star excitedly skipped back into the hotel and to the elevators, leaving Marco behind, laughing. He looked at her, all wrapped up in her towel, waiting for the elevator. Her radiance shone through her; he was certain everyone else could see it. "Marco! Hurry up! Elevator's here!" was what brought him back out of his admiration daydreams of Star.

"I'm comin', I'm comin'!" He shouted back before jogging to catch up to the elevator. Again, they were the only two.

"Alright, who's showering first?" Star asked.

"Ladies first" Marco replied.

"Ugh, why do you always have to be so chivalrous?" Star half-complained. Honestly, she's always loved that side of him. How he got nowhere with the girls at school, she'll never know.

The two finally entered the daunting suite, and again the heated romance filled the air. They were sure the rose petals gave off their sweet smell in the room from being out so long; causing it to be even more romance-filled than before they got in the pool. They both felt the pressure of the room, causing them to awkwardly walk in, looking at the ground.

"So…I'm going to get my stuff to shower…" was all that Star said before grabbing her luggage to grab her shampoos and conditioners as Marco went to grab his as well. Star nearly stopped in her tracks when she saw him getting his things. "Umm, what are you doing?" she questioned.

"I'm just getting my things as well so that I can shower after you take yours and we can leave faster?" Marco said, giving her a weird look.

"Oh, right, right…" Star laughed nervously, shaking her head, mentally kicking herself. She swore she was so stupid sometimes. "I'm sorry I'm being so weird, Marco…It's just…"

"…This room?" Star looked up in surprise, but immediately started blushing and looking down.

"H-How did you know?"

"Trust me, I feel it too…" She heard a small chuckle from him. They needed to talk about this. She sat down on the edge of the bed next to him, holding her things in her lap.

"So what do you wanna do? You just wanna check out and sleep in our car for the week?" Star inquired. If the two were feeling uncomfortable, it didn't make sense to leave the elephant in the room for the sake of the other.

"I did that once. It's not as comfortable as it sounds." Another chuckle; this time, Star joined in. But once again, silence broke between them. "Star, we really don't need to make this room as romantic as it is. It's not the room's fault it screams sex. It was designed that way. We really shouldn't be making it a bigger deal than it really is. Besides, I think we're both jet lagged, too. We're not ourselves. Here, I can de-romanticize the room starting with the rose petals. You go on and shower, alright?" Star smiled and complied, seeing Marco grabbing the petals off the bed from her peripheral vision.

 **Monday Evening, 5 PM**

"Alright where did you want to move the blanket again, Star?"

"Eh, right here's fine." Star and Marco had just arrived at the outdoor cinema and were now setting up a blanket for them to sit on while watching the movie. The scenery was absolutely beautiful; fairy lights, Japanese lanterns, and big oak trees really seemed to fascinate Star so much. "Seriously it's so pretty here!"

"I know right? We need to have one of these closer to home so we can go more often!" Marco replied, sitting down on the blanket. Star followed straight after, sitting next to him.

"Yeah, I wouldn't mind seeing movies out here! Sure beats a dark room any day."

"Oh yeah, definitely! Look, we'll probably even see the stars after the movie's done." Marco stated, looking up at the sky. Star turned to look up as well, before turning her attention to an employee walking in front of him.

"Ooh, he's hot" Star stated, her heartbeat increasing as she saw the employee. Marco instantly turned his attention from the sky to the direction she was facing to look at the employee Star was gushing about.

"…He's not _that_ hot..." Marco muttered under his breath, a hint of jealousy filling his eyes.

"I heard that" Star said, never turning to face Marco, but still smiling and shaking her head.

"Movie's starting!" both of them shushed each other, smiling briefly at saying the same thing once again before directing their attention to the movie.

An hour had passed by, and the temperature was significantly dropping. Marco saw Star slowly forming herself into a small ball from her peripheral vision. It made sense; she was wearing a sleeveless dress and sandals.

"You cold, Star?" He asked her, a small concerned tone nuanced in his voice.

"Hmm? No, I'm okay."

"Star…" He knew full well she was lying to him. As much as she denied it, Marco still proceeded to take his hoodie off and put it on Star. Star smiled at him before putting her arms through and zipping it up halfway. As much as she didn't want to admit it, Marco's hoodies always felt extra comfortable than any jacket she'd ever be able to poof up by herself.

The two turned their attention back to the movie and watched while Star poofed up small bowls of popcorn for the both of them until the movie's ending.

 **Monday Night, 8 PM**

"Hmm, I give it a 3.5/5 stars." Marco remarked as the movie started rolling the credits. Marco slowly got up and helped Star up.

"I have to agree!" Star replied, brushing off the skirt of her dress. The two endured more silence; they were thinking the exact same thing.

"So, where to next?" Marco asked.

"Hey, let's go clubbing!"

"Star, what?"

"Yeah , let's go! I mean, we're both 18 now! Let's see what all the hype is about Earth clubs!"

"S-Star, we didn't even bring club clothes…"

"You keep forgetting I have this" Star held up her wand, smiling slyly before grabbing his hand and leading him back to the car. "C'mon, we'll change in the car" Once in the car, Marco in the driver's seat and Star in the passenger's, the two exchanged looks, Star's face lighting up with excitement. He couldn't tell her "no".

"Alright, Butterfly, do your magic" was all he said before he heard squealing and zapping on both her and herself. "I have to warn you though, some of these are dangerous. You don't know what creep could be there" He said, looking down at his new club outfit.

"Marco, we'll be fine. We're going to be together, so we'll protect each other if anything happens! That's what friends are for." Star stated, zapping herself a new outfit. Marco looked over at her new outfit; she looked so beautiful. Yep, he was going to have to keep an extra eye on her; those guys were going to be all over her.

"Alright, but we're only staying for a little while. You didn't spend 5 hours driving straight." Marco said, putting the car into drive and heading for the nearest club.

"Sounds like a deal!"

The two drove for a few minutes before safely parking in front of a purple-lit building. They could both hear the bass of the music pounding and people cheering. This got Star even more excited.

"C'mon, Marco!" He chuckled slightly before getting out of the car. They both promptly showed their IDs, and the bouncer let them in. The music got even louder as they entered the building.

"Wooooaahhh" Star exclaimed, looking around at the lights, the people, and the scenery of the place. It was definitely was different than the Bounce Lounge. "Marco, we _have_ to dance!" was all she said before pulling her best friend on the dancefloor.

Marco was actually having a great time here. He was dancing with his best friend, and her high energy probably made this experience way better than he expected. They were looking at one another, dancing, laughing, until Star's eyes widened and started struggling to get out of something she got caught in, it seemed.

"STAR!" Marco screamed. Finally, Star escaped the grasp of someone and ran straight toward Marco. Marco stared and saw the man who grabbed Star. Marco marched closer to the man, his eyes shifting to anger.

"That's _my_ girl. Don't you _ever_ touch her like that again" was all Marco said before grabbing Star's hand and heading for the exit.

"The nerve of some people…"

"Marco, I'm sorry. We never should've come in the first place" Star said, once they were both in the car.

"No it wasn't your fault. I was actually starting to have fun. Some guys apparently think it's okay to grab any random girl and start sexually harassing them." Marco sighed in disbelief, slightly ashamed of his own gender.

"You warned me about them, and I didn't listen…I'm sorry." Star looked down, ashamed.

"Star, it's totally okay. We'll get to go to another club back at home." Marco gave her a small smile, and she couldn't help but smile back. "Back to the hotel?" Star nodded.

"I think we had a pretty fun-filled day, don'tcha think?"

"Defnitely the most epic spring break yet" Marco nodded in agreement. Both of them rode in silence as they hoped the romantic aura of the room waned down.

 **Answers to Reviewers:**

 **Mermaidrosie:** me and you both, girl. Starco has taken over my life lol.

 **JW TS:** Haha, thank you for following! What's your so I can follow you too!


	3. Smoothies

**Monday Night, 11 PM**

The two arrived at the hotel's parking lot, sleep-deprived and worn out from Day 1 of Spring Break. Star yawned, her eyes closing as Marco unlocked the car. He looked at her admiringly; their first day together was unlike anything he'd ever experienced. It wasn't anything like he'd imagined. It was calm, peaceful, and joyful. He didn't know if it was because he and Star has been best friend for so long, but he definitely could not imagine taking this trip with anyone else.

"C'mon, Sleeping Beauty, let's head on up to bed" Marco said softly to the blonde, who was falling even deeper asleep. Star grumbled, shifting her body away from the Driver's seat. "Star, don't make me carry you in there"

"…Y'know that actually doesn't sound bad" Star replied, not moving from her current state.

"I was joking…"

"Oh, no now you have to carry me" Marco chuckled upon hearing this, getting out of the driver's seat and walking over to the passenger's seat to open the door, looking at his sleeping best friend.

"You sure you want me to carry you?"

"What kind of question is that?" Star asked, raising her arm up. Marco smiled to himself before looping one arm under her legs and one supporting her back before lifting her off the seat and closing the door. Almost instantly, she draped one arm around his neck for support and rested her head on his chest. Though it was mainly just her being lazy, she couldn't help but feel like she was protected. Like she was…safe. Somehow, she could hear his heartbeat which made her feel even drowsier.

Marco promptly walked toward the elevator, smiling to the concierge who was on night shift. The ride for the elevator was not shared alone, but by two teenage girls about their age. Marco pressed their floor followed by the girls pressing theirs.

"Umm, is she okay?" One of the girls asked Marco, looking at the sleeping princess he was holding.

"Oh, yeah. She just fell asleep in the car, and I didn't wanna wake her up." He explained. Both of the girls showed their admiration for Marco and how sweet he was for doing that.

"Aw, that's so sweet! Is she your girlfriend?" The second girl inquired. Now, both were intrigued.

"No, she's my best friend. We're on a road trip right now."

"That has got to be the sweetest thing I've ever heard." The first girl said, turning her attention to the second girl. "Gavin doesn't do half the things this guy does, and this is just his best friend. Imagine his girlfriend."

"Oh, I don't have a girlfriend" Marco corrected them. The girls both looked at him as if he grew a third eye.

"You're kidding, right? Please tell me you're kidding." Marco shook his head, blushing slightly. "Oh my god, please date me" The second girl said, making the 18-year-old even more flustered.

"Ellie, I think he's got his hands full already" The first girl said, laughing alongside the second girl, winking.

"Literally" Marco laughed, holding the princess a bit higher. Just then, the elevator stopped at the 16th floor. The daunting honeymoon suite was awaiting them. "Welp, this is our stop. It was great meeting you two! Good night!" Marco said goodbye to the girls as his heart started beating faster with every step he took closer to the room.

Finally, he was standing right in front of the door. 1609. He sighed, pulled out the key from his pocket, and walked into the room, whilst still carrying Star. Marco walked closer to the bed and tossed Star on it, which woke her up. Sitting up, her eyes were still a bit sleepy.

"Oww…I keep forgetting you got like, a hundred times stronger."

"Sorry…" Marco replied, getting his suitcase and placing it on the other side of the bed to pick out his pajamas. Star sat up, smoothing out her dress, trying not to glance at her best friend. Marco closed his suitcase and set it against the wall, then heading for the bathroom to change.

It didn't take long for Star to realize she was sitting in the middle of the heart-shaped bed, waiting for Marco. Immediately, her heart started racing once again, unable to move. It wasn't until Marco walked back out in his pajamas that Star snapped out of her trance.

"Look who's up! Go change into your pajamas so we can go to sleep!" Marco said, smiling at the princess. Of course, he meant that in the most innocent way possible, but Star's mind was up to its dirty tricks again and manipulated it, sending her once again, into hysterics.

"Huh? I—Um—Yeah, okay" Star gathered her things to change in the bathroom as she saw Marco getting the bed ready to sleep in. Little did they know, the two were just as nervous as the other was. Star slipped into her pink nightgown and long white thigh high socks, and slowly strolled out, her heart thumping. She could feel the pounding in her ears as she walked out to see Marco already claiming the right side of the bed. She could see how close to the edge he was, trying to ensure that he was not going to invade any of her space. She laughed slightly, looking at him sitting up, waiting for her.

"Why are you sitting so close to the edge like that?" Star questioned, climbing onto the other side of the bed, almost as close to the edge as Marco was.

"I could ask you the same question" Marco chuckled back, scooting a bit closer. Star did too until they were a reasonable distance away from each other and the edge so the other wouldn't fall off. A few awkward minutes went by as they shuffled in the covers, looking down at them. "So…good night?"

Star smiled as she reached to turn off the lamp. "Yes, good night, Marco." Their hearts still pounded as the lights went out, both anticipating what weird things they'd do in their sleep. They were turned away from each other, staring wide-eyed into their side of the room, wondering if the other was sleeping soundly. Minutes, for what seemed like hours passed, and finally, Marco spoke up.

"Star?" Marco whispered, not moving from his position.

"Yeah?" Star replied, also not moving an inch.

"You're not asleep yet?"

"Haven't been able to"

"You were just fine sleeping in the car…" Silence. They both knew why they couldn't get to sleep.

"Guess I slept all the tiredness off." Her heart was still racing.

"Try to get some more? We have a pretty big day ahead of us." Marco replied. He thought of hugging her, but it felt too risky. This bed just made any type of physical interaction seem sexual.

"Yeah, I will…Good night, Marco"

"Good night, Star."

 **Tuesday Morning, 8 AM**

Star opened her eyes to her best friend's sleeping face. Seconds later however, the boy did the same, staring into each other's eyes ensconced in the warmth of…each other? It took a second for both to realize that Marco was in fact hugging her tightly against his body. Immediately, the two squirmed to the farthest corner of the bed, looking at one another, tugging the covers completely over their bodies as if they were trying to hide something. They stared at one another, stunned at how they just found each other before suddenly bursting out laughing. Laughing so much, they laid back down, this time with their feet toward the pillows.

"Sorry about that, Star" Marco apologized, smiling sheepishly.

"Nah, it's okay! I guess I was your little teddy bear?" Star teased, earning a small frown from her best friend.

"In my defense, I was asleep! And I grabbed the nearest thing next to me, so you have some explaining to do, Miss Butterfly." This earned a small "o" shape forming from Star's mouth.

"Do we need to put a pillow between us or can we control ourselves?" Star said, overdramatically.

"Aw, c'mon! We can totally do this. I mean I can, at least" Marco was teasing again, this time winking at the princess before he earned a pillow to the face. More laughter erupted; their old playful banter and friendship was left clean, thankfully. "Alright Star, I have something really fun planned for today"

"Ooh! What is it?!" Star sat up excitedly. She almost forgot she spent the night cuddling her best friend in a heart-shaped bed.

"Well, since this place is home to some of the most beautiful beaches, so I was thinking we could spend the whole day there!" Marco knew how much she loved the water. It was probably her favorite thing next to fighting monsters. He saw her face light up as she grabbed his rather muscular arm, tugging on it.

"Ooh yay! Beaches! I'm going to go put my swimsuit on!" Star hurriedly climbed out of bed, grabbed her bikini from her suitcase, and headed toward the bathroom to change. Marco chuckled, watching the door. He loved his best friend so much, it was ridiculous. He didn't know if his platonic love spread into romantic love for her, as he had never really been in love with anyone. It was hard to explain when he asked anyone who was in love to describe how they knew when they felt it. He tried asking his parents, Ferguson and Alfonzo, even Janna and Jackie, who openly became a couple just a few months ago. Every person he asked said the same thing. That he would "just feel it". But that was just it. Feel what exactly? The pounding of the heart every time he saw the daunting bed? The goofy smile he gets when he looks at her? The joy he gets just by watching her be happy and free? He didn't know. But he did know he cared for her. He cared for her more than she could ever imagine. Just then, Star emerged from the bathroom in a sheer short white dress with her teal blue swimsuit underneath, complete with her smile that Marco always seemed to love.

"Wow, someone's ready and lookin' awesome! But you forgot one thing—"

"Way ahead of you!" The girl poofed up a black sunhat that accentuated her entire outfit. She really was beautiful; he wouldn't be surprised if she was surrounded by males and females alike. "Now go get changed so we can go!" She exclaimed. Marco laughed, heading in to change into his swim trunks and T-Shirt as Star got the bag ready full of essentials: sunscreen, towels, and snacks. They were ready to have some fun at the beach and get out of this room. The aura was slowly starting to ease back into the room the more they were in there.

 **Tuesday Afternoon, 12 PM**

Star and Marco had been at the beach for a few hours when the beach was just starting to gain momentum with the amount of people. It was spring break; the truckloads of teenagers and college students piled up the beach and the ocean. Luckily, Star and Marco got in and out in time. Now, they were lying on their beach towels, looking out at the ocean and the volleyball game nearby. Ahead of them was a little girl building a sandcastle.

"Aww, Marco, look! That little girl's building a cute little castle!" Marco looked over to the little girl, who was clearly hard at work with what she was building.

"That's so adorable, aww" Marco chimed in, smiling.

"She's so creative! Look at her!" Star was really admiring the toddler as she was now carving out small windows on her tower. "That's it. I want my child to be exactly like her."

Marco looked over at Star, smiling at the thought of Star being a mother. It was a thought that never really crossed his mind until now. _She'd be a great mother,_ he thought. "I'm sure you'll get a wonderful daughter, since y'know, she'll be 50% you" Star smiled at his compliment.

"Well, your kids are going to be amazing! They'll have the biggest brown eyes and the sweetest personalities! I can't wait to meet them" Star complimented back. Both knew them starting a family could be a possibility, but neither of them brought the topic up. They knew what children and starting families meant.

"They're going to be best friends just like us!" Marco added.

"Yeah! I guess you could say they could almost be like siblings." A small laugh in agreement left both of them in another silence. Marco was the one to break the silence after a few minutes.

"Hey, I heard that place sells awesome smoothies. You want one?"

"Yeah, sure!" Star happily agreed, looking up at the Mexican 18-year-old who now stood up to head over to the smoothie shack. Marco's body got way buffer in four years, as he had been training really hard to get his black belt in karate. Star really never noticed how handsome Marco actually was when all he had on was a pair of swimming trunks.

"Alright, I'll see you in a few" Marco was preparing to walk off to the shack, when the volleyball darted straight toward him. Immediately, Marco caught and served it back to the team, who just happened to be college girls.

"Thank you, sweetie!" One girl smiled and winked at Marco. Marco, blushing slightly, smiled and nodded before walking the opposite way to the shack, unaware that Star had just seen this entire encounter.

Star knew the volleyball incident was probably a one-time thing. They probably weren't going to see each other ever again in their entire lives. But something about someone flirting with Marco sent a sense of anger through Star. She tried to shake it off, lying on her back and closing her eyes to forget, though her conscience urged her to just look left, where Marco was patiently waiting and sitting for their smoothies.

She looked. And man, was that the worst decision she's ever made. There the smoothie cashier was, leaning forward to get closer to Marco. Star had been on Earth long enough to know that she was definitely flirting and Marco obviously didn't get the hint she was putting out. Her blood boiled unconsciously, knowing that if Marco wanted to flirt, he could. It was none of her business who he wanted to talk to, but the possessive side of her told her that it was wrong of her to think this way. She couldn't keep her eyes off the shack. Shortly after, two more girls approached Marco. Star could practically see his flustered cheeks as the girls were playfully laughing and touching him. Star clutched her wand even harder; she was surprised she didn't break it in half by how hard she was squeezing it.

Next thing she knew, her legs were on its way to the shack. She knew she should just leave him alone. They were solely best friends, each other's wing-person, and supporters of one another. She had absolutely no right to be this…jealous.

Star Butterfly was jealous. And as much as she didn't want to be, the thought of being replaced or forgotten by her best friend sent her into an enraged phase. She marched right up to where Marco sat; her face clearly showed her game face, the same one she used fighting monsters. Star was just about to open her mouth to say something when Marco beat her to it.

"Star!" He exclaimed, happily. He then got up from his seat to stand next to Star. "Ladies, this is her. Star Butterfly, my _girlfriend_ " Marco grabbed Star's hand in his. Star blinked a couple of times in surprise. Girlfriend? Did he just call her his girlfriend? She couldn't really find anything to say until she felt a tight squeeze from Marco. She knew exactly what that meant.

"It's nice to meet you all! Now if you'll excuse us, we're going to get going now. Have a nice day!" Star said, showing the biggest smile before kissing Marco's cheek right in front of the girls. It was Marco's turn to be completely stunned as he was led by Star back to their towels. It must've taken him a good minute before he returned back to normal.

"So…I'm your girlfriend now?" Star teased, sitting down on her towel as Marco did. He chuckled sheepishly.

"I had to do something for them to get off me. They were really not my type" Marco explained. "I'm just really glad you came when you did, and how well you played it off without me ever telling you"

"Hey, what are friends for?" Star smiled in response. She didn't even feel like she helped or saved him in any way. It was more because her anger managed to get her up.

"About that kiss on the cheek though..." Marco started.

"Hey, like you said, I was just playing along! No harm in showing a little PDA" Star explained. Marco laughed, admiring just how well they complimented one another.

Day 2 was only half over, but they've already had so many adventures, they both couldn't wait to see what the following days will bring.


	4. Warmth

A/N: Thank you guys so much for all the wonderful feedback! I read every single one of them, and they always make me smile. It makes me so happy when someone likes, reblogs (and adds tags), favorites, and reviews my chapters! You all motivate me to keep writing, so thank you! Without further ado, here's chapter four of Road Trip! Sorry for the delay on this, by the way. College has gotten to me guys. x"D

 **Tuesday Evening, 5:30 PM**

The two 18-year-olds spent the rest of their day at the beach enjoying the sun and the oceanic waves. It wasn't until the sun started setting that they began to wonder what time it was.

"Aw, Marco, look! The sky looks so pretty right now!" Star awed at the sky, full of pinks, reds, oranges, and yellows all infused together. This was definitely not her first sunset, but each time she was outside for one, she loved stopping and staring at the sky before the stars arose. It had to be her favorite part of the day. Marco complied and looked back in front of him, seeing the sun set into the ocean. He then looked over at Star, who was still watching the beautiful sky, and smiled slightly. Sure the sky was a beauty, but nothing could ever compare to the princess he had sitting by him.

"Hey, Star?"

"Hmm?" The blonde looked at her best friend, oblivious to the nerves that were on his face.

"Wanna build a sandcastle?"

"Oh man, for a second there, I thought you were gonna say snowman" Star laughed, remembering the movie they watched a while back that everyone was obsessed with at the time. Marco laughed back before grabbing a few pails and shovels behind them.

"You ready?"

"Oh, you know it! I lived in a castle, this should be easy" The blonde was now hard at work filling up the buckets with sand and carefully crafting them so they'd stay. The two best partners in crime were hard at work, concentrating extra hard, until they had a beautiful castle in front of them.

The two stood up, admiring their work.

"So, queen of the castle, what shall we name it?" Marco inquired, looking at his best friend, causing her to bring out her thinking face.

"Hmm…well as king of the castle, I think we should both come up with a name!"

It took a few minutes before Marco blurted out, "what about Earmewni? I combined both of our homes"

Star gasped at his brilliance. "Yes! Perfect! I knew we were doing something right when we made you king"

Needless to say, the Castle of Earmewni only lasted a few more minutes before a wave came to devour it. The two teens stared at the spot where their castle once stood, both slightly disappointed that their hard work was now gone forever.

It was now fully dark, and both Star and Marco were just about ready to head back to the hotel. The two were sitting in their car, Marco turning it on, began the conversation.

"Hey, you wanna watch a movie tonight? The night is still young, but I'd like for this to be a night in, if that's alright with you" Marco suggested. Though the suite was still a bit awkward for them, they managed to not let that get in their way of fun. Plus, they hardly were in the room anyway. This would be the longest they were going to be awake in there.

"Yeah, that sounds great! I'd love to wind down a little before bed anyway." Star replied cheerfully. Late night movies with Marco seemed like any normal thing someone would do with their best friend. Alone in a honeymoon suite, however? A completely different story. Her mind automatically went straight for _those_ thoughts. She's heard all the stories about it in her high school career. Someone would invite someone else over to watch a movie, but a few minutes into the movie, the two would slowly lose interest in the movie and become interested in each other, resulting in both of them waking up naked beside each other. And that could very well happen to Star and Marco, or so Star thought.

 **Tuesday Night, 8:30 PM**

Finally arriving into the hotel parking lot, the two walked in, greeted the concierge, and headed straight to their suite. Once again, the romantic urges filled the two as soon as they walked in. It took everything they had in them to keep their hands to themselves.

Star immediately started grabbing her things for a quick shower while Marco started booting up the laptop for their movie night. Silence ensued as one exited the shower while one went in, and in a few minutes, the two teens were freshly showered and were now sitting awkwardly on either side of the bed, with the laptop in the middle clicked on a movie Star had chosen while Marco was in the bathroom. Marco initiated their movie night, moving closer to the middle and grabbing the laptop, sliding under the covers and setting the laptop on his lap. Star immediately followed, and soon she was also under the covers, right beside him.

"Alright, you sure this is the movie we're gonna watch?" Marco asked.

"Yep, now play it!" Marco smiled at Star before pressing play and adjusting the screen for better quality. Marco knew Star was going to choose this film. This was one of her all-time favorites. They've watched it at least 20 times, at least, according to Marco's count. Of course, he didn't care. It was still a great movie.

45 minutes into the film and Marco became conscious of how close they actually were. He felt how warm her thigh felt against his, how small her legs were in comparison to his. Their hands were resting right beside each other. _If I really wanted to,_ Marco thought, _I could just hold her hand right now._

Too late. Marco suddenly felt a jolt from his right side and Star's warm hand grasp his, as the movie played suspenseful music. Surprised by the sudden movement in Star, Marco immediately squeezed her hand back.

"Gosh, I always know that part is coming, but I'm never prepared! It gets me every time!" Star says, laughing a little, but never letting go of Marco's hand. Marco didn't mind though. Why would he?

An hour and a half into the movie, and suddenly, Marco feels Star's head lay lightly on his shoulder. She was too exhausted to even finish the movie. He looked down at their joined hands, laying his head down lightly on hers. _She never let go_ , Marco thought. Her grip stayed intact all throughout the movie. Marco kept staring at their hands, lightly grazing his hand over her hand before yawning. He was exhausted too. Quietly, Marco shut down his laptop, set it on his bedside stool and sunk deeper into the covers, all while holding Star's hand. Star instinctively followed where Marco's shoulder went and laid her head back into her respective spot once Marco got comfortable. And that is how they drifted off into sleep, hands joined, Star's head on Marco's chest, and Marco wishing he could stay like that forever.

 **Wednesday Morning, 8 AM**

Marco woke up to the feeling of a finger tracing circles on his face, and the first thing he saw was a blue-eyed princess staring right back at him.

"Well good morning to you too" Marco chuckled, looking down at Star, who was smiling sheepishly.

"I got bored…" They both looked at each other, longing for the other to say something. Then it hit Star: they were once again, cuddling in a giant heart-shaped bed, and the heart-thumping feelings came rushing back.

"Hey...weren't we supposed to control ourselves in our sleep?" Star inquired, half-joking.

"Yeah, but you fell asleep on me during the movie last night, and I didn't wanna disturb you. I know how you get when I wake you up." Hearing this made Star's heart cheeks turn a darker red to signify she was slightly embarrassed at her behavior during the movie.

"O-Oh…I did? Sorry…"

"No worries! Now, are you hungry? I know this amazing diner not too far from here!" Marco shrugged it off, making Star forget about her guilt and start getting out of their morning position.

"Breakfast sounds more than amazing right now!"

And before they knew it, they were seated at the nearby diner not too far from the hotel they were staying at. The vibe felt like they time traveled back to the 50's, but they both loved it in a strange way. Marco ordered eggs, bacon, pancakes, and coffee while Star went for French toast, hash browns, and orange juice.

15 minutes of waiting brought them a great breakfast as they started figuring out what they should do for the rest of the day.

"Why don't we go to the park today?" Star suggested.

"Park?" Marco wasn't sure what was so great about a park. At first glance, it wasn't anything special, but nonetheless, he let Star plan out their activities for today.

"Yeah! We can take a walk, feed the ducks, go swinging, maybe go out and get picnic things for lunch!" Star's eyes lit up as she talked about it. Marco chuckled once again at her enthusiasm, nodding along with her as she planned out their day.

"The park sounds really fun! I'm down!" Marco agreed, taking a sip of his coffee.

Soon, the two finished their breakfast, paid, and headed to the nearest park to spend the entire day.


	5. Model Status

**Wednesday, 10 AM**

"Aww, this is such a beautiful park!" Star commented, staring at the scenery before them. Although it was a beautiful park all on its own, the beautiful day within itself really helped it out even more. The birds were chirping the sun was shining, there was a cool breeze every now and then; the best part was that Star was able to enjoy it with Marco.

"It really is!" Marco agreed with Star. He turned to look at her, admiring the radiance that always seemed to shine from her. Star looked back at Marco, also admiring the glow of comfort and optimism that always seemed to shine through every time she looked at him. They were each other's light, and each time they looked at each other, they were reminded just how special each one was to either of them. It hurt both of them to know that they would have to be apart soon after graduation.

"Okay, so, first order of business: taking the trail to the duck pond!" Star shouted, and before Marco could agree or disagree, he was being pulled by the arm by the blonde beauty. They made their way to the beginning of the trail, admiring the various families and couples also on the walk. "Everything is beyond gorgeous here! I think I made a pretty good job for choosing our activities for today."

"I couldn't agree more!" Marco agreed as they made their way into the secluded area for the duck pond. It was as if they entered a new world, like they found a new pathway to somewhere only they knew. Both of the teens came to sit right next to the water, enjoying watching the ducks swim around happily. A few minutes of silence sent Star into a state of pensiveness, and then she turned to Marco, who also looked as if he had the same state of mind.

"You ever wish you could've been born a duck?" Star asked. Marco turned to look at her, a weird expression filling his face. Maybe not the same state of mind as he thought.

"What?"

"Think about it: if we were all ducks, our lives would be so much simpler. All we would have to do is swim around, dry our cute little feathers, and wait for food to be thrown at us." Marco chuckled at that last part, but it did make sense from where she was coming from.

"Y'know, that doesn't sound too bad." Marco agreed with her. "We wouldn't have to worry about college denials, the future, prom rejections…rejections in general…" Marco looked into Star's eyes for a split second while he said "rejections in general". He knew she had her fair share of being rejected, as did he. And now since prom was getting even closer, both Star and Marco hoped they could find the perfect person to go with.

"We should all strive to be ducks!" Star chirped back up, smiling down at a small duck that had walked up to her and quacked slightly. Marco smiled at Star, who was now feeding the duck.

"I second that!" Marco chimed in as two ducks neared him as he poured duck feed into the palm of his hand. And there they had stayed, laughing, feeding the ducks, and naming them as if they were their own children until they had finally run out of duck feed.

"I mean, I could turn us into ducks right now" Star waved her wand. "But then I wouldn't know how to get us back to human form" She giggled slightly as a duckling came to her feet. Star immediately started shaking the bag of duck feed for more, but only a few crumbs fell onto her hand.

"Aw, sorry, little guy, we're all out!" Star said, patting one on the head. "But we'll be back soon!" Star stood up, helped Marco up, and headed toward the trail back to civilization. They both knew that would be their sanctuary if they were to ever need time away from home. The walk back from the duck pond was quiet; Star was busy watching nature and Marco was busy stealing glances at Star and the nature around him. He couldn't figure out which one fascinated him more. Nature was the one thing she loved about Earth. She never really got quite used to it. It sure beat the constant terror of nature on Mewni.

Alas, they go back, the sun already starting to set a little. They noticed a deserted swing set, enough for two people to swing. The immediate mischievous smiles the both of them exchanged to each other were just enough for them to resort back to them being 14 and running toward the swing set as fast as they could.

"Ha! Beat you to the swing set!" Star panted out, sitting on one of the swings.

"Did not; I totally beat you by like three seconds!" Marco disagreed, a smug smile on his face as he sat on the other swing next to her.

"Alright, Diaz, you know how we settle this?"

"Swing-off?"

"Swing-off!" Just then, the two 18-year-olds put as much force onto their first swing, and with each push, they swung higher and higher, both reaching insane amounts of momentum, both giggling like idiots as they were preparing for the ultimate deal-breaker. "Ready, Marco?"

"Bring it, princess!" Marco retorted back, a great deal of determination filling his eyes. "On the count of three!"

"One…" Star started the count.

"Two…"

"THREE!" Both teens shouted before reaching the highest peak and jumping off, falling onto the ground. Star and Marco both heard a thud from one another, still laughing uncontrollably. They both sat up, in slight pain, but still laughing. They looked at each other; they were at the same exact distance away from the swing set.

"Well, guess it's a tie!" Marco said, laughing.

Star sighed dramatically. "Aw man, I really wanted to beat you this time!"

"Well too bad, princess." Marco shrugged before helping himself and Star up.

"I want a do-over!"

"I'm not sure my body can take that fall again" Marco laughed, feeling the slight bruise he felt coming in on his arm. Star laughed slightly, and nodded.

"Alright, alright; it's a draw this time. Next time, I'm beating you for sure!" Star said, determination filling her voice.

"Hey, are you hungry?"

"Yeah, just a little. You?" Marco asked. Star nodded slightly.

"Well, I was going to suggest a picnic, but it seems to be getting cloudy all of a sudden?" Marco looked up at the clouds covering up the once beautiful sky. Star looked up as well, feeling a sudden drop on her forehead.

"Yeah, I think it's going to start raining soon. I just felt a drop."

Marco sighed chuckling. "Oh, Mother Nature, you sure are a piece of work."

"Why don't we head back to the hotel and order a pizza?" Star suggested. The word hotel still sent shivers to their spines as they thought of the room. Star knew this, trying to give him a little bit more comfort. "I know there's a small dining area in the lobby of the hotel. We could eat it there."

"Sounds perfect" Star smiled widely; it always warmed her heart when Marco liked and went along with an idea of hers. Her tendency of messing things up seemed to wane away when she was with Marco; he knew her quirks enough to figure out how she was feeling and how to fix her and vice versa.

 **Wednesday Afternoon, 3:30 PM**

Soon, the two teens were driving back to the hotel, Marco driving and Star ordering the pizza, but it wasn't as simple as that. It was always Star ordering some weird topping or crust with Marco quietly trying to argue back as he was driving, which ended in them almost crashing, and getting a compromise with their pizza.

Entering the hotel was no big deal to them, but their hearts sure did start beating increasingly faster, as their room was only an elevator away.

 _Why am I still thinking this way about our room? We've cuddled all week on it; we've talked about it. It shouldn't be a big deal anymore…_ Star's thoughts roamed on this idea before she stopped Marco. "Hey, do you wanna wait and eat in the lobby? Y'know, so we don't make a mess in the room?" Marco knew not making a mess in the room was only half of the reason she asked, but he nodded in agreement.

They waited in the lobby until their pizza came, and brought it over to the small dining area the hotel had by the concierge desk. It felt like a small restaurant almost, there were a small family of four on one end eating sandwiches and a businesswoman of some sort talking away at her cell phone and drinking a large coffee. Both teens ignored the other guests as they ate hungrily, grabbing slice after slice, not uttering a word until they were both stuffed.

"That bacon jalapeño slice was actually not that bad" Marco admitted. Star always got crazy toppings combinations. Sometimes they would be surprisingly delicious and other times, they wouldn't.

"I told you it would be!" She laughed, gloating at her new combination of a pizza topping. A few minutes had passed by before the businesswoman stopped by their table.

"Hello there" the woman greeted both of them, smiling softly, but then turned her attention right to Star. "Excuse me, ma'am, I couldn't help but notice you have a special aura emanating from you. Have you been ever interested in being a model?" Star gave the woman a confused look as she gripped her wand slightly tighter.

"Model? Aura? What do you mean?"

"Well, I'm a modeling agent" the businesswoman pulled out her card and continued talking, "and I'm hosting a giant runway show tonight, and well, turns out we were one model short and our replacement is unable to get here in time for the show, so I'm scavenging looking for someone to be a fast replacement."

Here is where Star turned to look at her best friend, who was also listening in on everything.

"Ma'am, I'm not buying this act you're putting up. No one asks a random girl to become a model out of the blue. What do you really want?" Marco interrogated the woman. Before she could further explain herself, three beautiful tall blondes in robes come rushing in.

"Ms. Bridgeman! There you are! Have you found a replacement yet? We all need to go to hair and makeup stat!" One of the girls shouted, a look of desperation on all of their faces, then they saw Star and Marco sitting where Ms. Bridgeman was standing by.

"Is that her?" Another one asked. Marco, Star, Ms. Bridgeman, and the three girls all stared at the blonde princess. She was only looking at her best friend. Marco, with the reassurance of the three girls, now felt a lot better about the whole situation, and he didn't need words to explain that to Star. Star looked at Marco, and then back at Ms. Bridgeman.

"Alright, I'll be your replacement, under one condition: my best friend here gets a free ticket to the show" Star said standing up to face Ms. Bridgeman.

"Done and done!" Ms. Bridgeman smiled widely as she reached in her purse and gave a ticket to Marco and grabbed Star's hand to lead her where the three girls were standing at the doorway. Star looked back at her best friend, who gave her an encouraging thumbs up and mouthed the words "good luck".

"What's your name, sweetie?" Ms. Bridgeman asked.

"Star Butterfly"

"Star, beautiful name. Okay, you're going to be modeling summer dresses for our Summer line. They're beautiful, bright, and bold. The 3 B's. You alright with that?"

"Oh, yeah!"

And with that, the three girls, Ms. Bridgeman, and Star walked out of Marco's line of sight and left him alone at the dining area. He knew she'd be okay, but still, it kind of felt weird not to have her by his side at every waking moment. Still, he couldn't let her pass this opportunity up. Marco smiled as he imagined Star in a variety of summer dresses. She's going to shine up there. She was going to be the most beautiful model there was, and that was a fact.

 **So sorry for the wait, guys! I hope you guys liked this chapter! Now we're getting some fuel! We'll follow Star's first close-up! Y'all excited? Well, get excited! The next chapter is going to be so jam-packed with things, you don't even know. And don't worry, I'll be quick to update sooner! Thank you again! Please be sure to read and review! 3**

 **-Karina**


	6. Confidence

**Previous Chapters:** s/11465423/5/Road-Trip

 **Show:** Star vs. The Forces of Evil

 **Pairing:** Star x Marco

 **Rating:** T

 **A/N:** SO SORRY FOR THE WAIT YOU GUYS. I've just been so lazy and busy and gah I've been a shit author I'm sorry. But now that I'm on summer break, expect this fanfic to be done and updating regularly! Thank you for all the support you've been giving! Now, onto chapter 6!

 **Wednesday Afternoon, 3:30**

18-year-old Star Butterfly was being rushed into a stretch limousine whilst modeling agent Ms. Bridgeman was speaking to her all about model etiquette: how to pose, what to have your facial expression set to, how to walk, all the usual things that models have to go through. She was talking a mile a minute, earning the worried expression from Star. As much as she wanted to do this because it seemed fun, she just didn't know if this would end up going wrong. After all, she was known for messing everything up.

"Mom, I think you're scaring her. Let me and the girls show her the ropes!" One of the girls chimed in. Ms. Bridgeman looked at her daughter, giving her a comforting smile and a nod before going straight to her numerous phone calls on her headset.

"We haven't fully introduced ourselves. I'm Helena. This is Isabelle and this is Giselle" Ms. Bridgeman's daughter said to Star. Star smiled back at them. They weren't anything like the models she saw on the magazines or billboards. They looked like normal everyday girls you'd see anywhere.

"I'm Star Butterfly, nice to meet you all" Star introduced herself cheerfully, unclenching her wand as she soon detected no harm from any of them.

"So, first shoot, huh? You excited?" Helena inquired with a genuine smile on her face. Star nodded sheepishly.

"Don't worry, we've all been there" Isabelle said. "Do you have any questions for us?"

"Are there any tips you could give me?"

"Stand straight, look ahead of you never at the audience, and be confident! You'll do fine. Even if you've never modeled before, we'll be here to help you!" Isabelle said with a smile and a nod. Star nodded back to signify she got the information.

"What is that thing you're holding?" was the first thing Giselle said to Star. Star looked down at her wand.

"Oh, it's a magical wand. It's a family heirloom. I'm actually a magical princess from another dimension" Star explained nonchalantly as the models stared at her hesitantly.

"You're a princess?"

"You're from another dimension?"

"You can do magic?"

Star giggled at the three questions. She was always asked those same questions when she explained who she was to others. She was kind of used to it at this point.

"Yes. I got the wand on my 14th birthday. My parents sent me here so I could learn to use my wand, and I've been here for about 4 years ever since"

Just then, the limousine made a stop in front of a building, and the girls waited for the chauffer to open the door and they came pouring out. "Alright ladies, follow me to hair and makeup. They will show you where to head after that. Have an amazing show!" Ms. Bridgeman said, walking as the four girls trailed behind her.

After what seemed like thousands of twists, turns, and stairs, the four girls were finally in their dressing room chairs ready to get their makeup done.

"Hello Miss Butterfly! I hear it's your first time on the runway. Don't worry; you're going to do great." Star's makeup artist started making conversation with her as she started to moisturize her face. "I'm Annalise, by the way."

"Nice to meet you!" Star said, smiling as Annalise started putting on the primer to get ready for the foundation.

"Are these hearts on your cheeks tattoos of some sort?" Annalise asked.

"Um, no, they're kind of like birthmarks? I was born with them. I'm actually a princess from another dimension." She explained.

"Whoa, no way? That's sick!" Annalise exclaimed, a wide grin on her face. "So what're you doing here in boring ol' Earth?" She asked, making sure not to cover Star's unique heart cheeks.

"Well, I have this wand that I got when I was 14 as a family heirloom. They thought I couldn't handle it so they sent me here to learn how to use it. I've been here for almost 4 years."

"That's seriously amazing! You gotta show me what you can do with that wand one of these days. So, who've you been staying with here?"

"My best friend and his family have let me stay with them" She responded.

"Wait, wait, wait you don't mean the guy you were with when we came to get you, do you?" suddenly Helena asked, looking at Star. Isabelle and Giselle also looked at Star for her answer.

"Yeah, his name is Marco! He's coming to the show tonight!"

"Ooh girl, he is cute!" Star blushed as the girls gushed about Marco.

"Yeah, he's adorable" Star giggled at the thought of her best friend.

"Wait, so you mean to tell us you've been living with him for 3 plus years and neither of you have made a move yet?" Giselle asked " _Because I would've…_ " She also muttered under her breath.

"Does he have a girlfriend? Is he gay? Do you have a girlfriend? Wait, are you gay?" Isabelle asked, question after question. Star just began laughing.

"No, no, we're both single, and I'm pretty sure we're both attracted to the opposite sex in one way or another" Star explained. Annalise was now brushing out her hair and applying product in it.

"…So what's the issue?"

"Do you not find him attractive? Just wanna be friends?" Isabelle asked again.

"Isabelle! Enough with the questions! Let the girl talk!" Helena said, laughing.

"Well, the truth is, I've always wondered what it would be like to date him. But he's my best friend. I don't want to think of the possibilities of ruining our friendship if something went wrong. He's just…an amazing person. He's funny, sweet, charming…" Star felt herself rambling on, but she couldn't stop. The adjectives just kept pouring out.

"Girl, it seems like you fell in love with your best friend." Annalise cut Star off, to which Star's expression totally transformed.

"What? Me? In love with Marco?" She looked at all the girls in the room, her new friends. They all nodded in agreement with one another. Star thought long and hard about it. When she thought about it, he was the one she pictured with her. He was the one she wanted to wake up next to, as she was these past few days. She wanted him and only him. Star Butterfly was in love with Marco Diaz.

Silence ensued as everyone focused on their hair and makeup until Star finally broke the silence. "Oh my god, guys, I'm in love with my best friend."

Eruptions of laughter began from everyone as they smiled at her. "You're too cute, Star!" Helena commented, making Star blush even more than she already was.

"Alright, lips, contouring, eyelashes, and hair all done! Now, it says here that you will be modeling lingerie, so we're going to put some subtle mint green eyeshadow."

"Wait back up, what did you just say?"

"Um, your lips, contouring, eyelashes, and hair are done?" Annalise responded, a weird look on her face.

"No, after that…"

"That you'll be modeling lingerie?"

"So you mean like…underwear?" Star asked a worried look on her face. Annalise nodded like it wasn't a big deal.

"Oh no…that's a mistake, Ms. Bridgeman said I would be modeling summer dresses!"

"Well the schedule says otherwise, and the schedule is never wrong. Don't worry, I get to choose what outfit you model, and I won't put you in anything too revealing." Star took a deep breath. Knowing Marco wouldn't miss this for the world, she knew walking on the runway in her underwear is going to be a huge shock to him.

"Y'know, I'm sure _Marco_ wouldn't mind this" Helena teased, wiggling her freshly filled-in eyebrows.

"I don't know how I'm going to show my face around him after this…"

"You haven't seen each other in your underwear? Haven't you guys lived together for years?"

"Of course we have! But it's always been accidental, and for a split second. I've never voluntarily shown him my underwear for him or vice versa!"

"Ah, you'll do fine. Just act like he's at the end of the catwalk and you two are the only ones there" That made Star blush yet again.

"No, that'll make it worse. That'll just make me blush and giggle in the middle of the runway if I do that! I'm blushing and giggling right now just thinking about it!"

"Alright, Miss Butterfly, how's this for impressing your man?" Annalise held up a sheer short t-shirt like top with matching lace underwear under it.

"He's not my man yet, but yes, it's perfect! Thank you, Annalise!" She hugged her before grabbing the garments and putting them on her lap as Annalise did one final touch-up before letting her go change. "Alright you're all done! Go get dressed!"

 **Wednesday Evening, 6:30 PM**

Star smiled halfheartedly before heading to the dressing rooms in the next room. As she was all dressed up, she looked at herself in the mirror, examining herself. She had always been confident about her body and herself, but something about this entire situation felt kind of scandalous and dangerous all at the same time. It felt like she was about to battle monsters again. Her years of trying to be a clean-cut princess were long over since she moved to Earth, and modeling lingerie felt like it was going to be fun. She felt liberated, carefree, sexy, comfortable. She took one look at herself, fluffing her new curls and smacking her pink lips before heading back out where Helena, Isabelle, and Giselle were all waiting in their outfits.

As soon as she stepped out, hollers of how great she looked roared within the three girls who were in various swimsuits and lingerie outfits.

"Look at you! You're beautiful!" Helena exclaimed. She grabbed both of Star's hands. "It's almost show time. You ready? You wanna check if Marco's out there?"

Star smiled back at her. "Wouldn't hurt to poke my head out to see, would it?" Helena shook her head no to answer the princess's question. She opened the white curtains a tiny bit so she could see, and sure enough, her best friend was sitting on the third row, on the left side of the catwalk. This set her heart thumping harder as she remembered what he was going to see her in. He was expecting a beautiful summer dress on her and what he was getting was vastly different.

Just moments after she tucked her head back in the curtains, the announcer began the program, introducing the summer dresses first. Marco, in the stands, kept his eye glued onto the models, his camera ready, anticipating Star's big moment to be on the runway. But as he saw model after their model, their expressionless face making their way to the front and back again, there was no sign of Star. Dumbfounded, Marco relaxed and looked at the program to see the lineup. Surely there had to be a summer dresses part 2, correct? Before the 18-year-old could put two and two together, the announcer then introduced the lingerie part of the fashion show. A different song played for a few counts before a new set of girls began modeling in their lace and sheer undergarments. Marco was still trying to figure out why his best friend wasn't in the summer dresses batch.

Marco looked up just as Star walked out onto the runway, in a full mint green outfit. He was, for lack of a better word, speechless. He wasn't sure if that was really his best friend up there. She looked natural, confident, beautiful, and even sexy. She looked as if she had been modeling for years. Her facial expression was more distinct than the others; she had a small seductive smile walking down the catwalk holding her wand. As much as Marco wanted to turn away, he couldn't; he was mesmerized.

Star walked along the catwalk, a relaxed, confident, seductive face plastered on her until she got to the end where she stopped for a few poses: the usual hand on hip one while she was biting her bottom lip slightly and another where she brought up her wand to bite on one of the wings on the side before she walked off ever so confidently. And just like that, her few minutes of fame were up. She didn't dare try to see Marco's facial expression throughout any of it; she would just have to explain herself later tonight.


	7. Balcony

**Wednesday Night, 7:30 PM**

If anyone told 18-year-old Star Butterfly that she would model lingerie at least once in her life, she would've laughed. She would've never believed it, but nonetheless, there she was, just back from her moment.

Helena, Giselle, and Isabelle were all waiting for her after they had all gone. Helena was the first to perk up as the blonde approached the three. As soon as she was close enough, the girls immediately engulfed her in a group hug.

"Star, you did so well! We're so proud of you!" Helena exclaimed as they all let go.

"Really? Thank you so much!" Star was glowing, beaming at all three of them. She hadn't felt this great in a long time. Then again, she never really had female friends other than Ponyhead, so the fact that she had them right now send waves of comfort and support her way.

Isabelle quickly changed the subject, smirking knowingly at Star. "By the way, we saw the way Marco was looking at you" That sentence sent her heart into a frenzy, snapping back into reality that she will have to face Marco inevitably sooner or later.

"Whaaat? What are you talking about?" Star laughed, trying to play it cool.

"His eyes were _all_ over you, girl!" Giselle explained, giggling along with Helena and Isabelle. "He definitely wasn't expecting that out of you!" Star blushed madly as she thought of her best friend in the audience as she walked the catwalk, flaunting off more of her body than she ever let herself before. She then started thinking about it in a more private setting, but before she could delve further in her thoughts, Helena shook her out of it.

"Hey, the entire crew of the modelling agency here is coming to the annual beach house party, hosted by yours truly. Why don't you come? And bring Marco too? It's the least we could do after you saved our show!"

Star lit up at the words "beach house party", automatically getting excited at the amount of fun that sounded. "Ooh, a party at a beach house! Sounds fun! I'll run it by Marco and see what he says!"

"Great! We really want to meet him, so make sure we see you two there!" As she was speaking, Helena grabbed a pen and a napkin and started writing down information. "We'll meet you at this address! Party starts at 9:30!" And with that, Helena started lining up for the last portion of the fashion show.

 **Wednesday Night, 7:45 PM**

Fifteen minutes after Helena went on, the Host announced the show's end and everyone began piling out to the lobby and parking lot as Star changed back into her normal clothes again. She started grabbing the hangers left outside the dressing room before Mrs. Bridgeman spotted and stopped her. "Oh, honey! Did Helena not tell you? Every model gets to keep their first garment they wore on the catwalk! It's a small tradition we like to do."

"Wait, really?" Star inquired. Mrs. Bridgeman nodded and what seemed like a small smile. Star smiled back, taking the lingerie back off the hangers and into a small bag. "Thank you so much, Mrs. Bridgeman!"

"Of course, darling. Thank you for saving our show. You rocked it out there." And with that, Star packed up the rest of her things and headed toward the parking lot to meet with Marco. She looked out at the various groups of people, searching for her best friend. She spotted a familiar red hoodie, immediately running toward him.

"Marco!" Star ran for him, engulfing him in a tight hug. Marco was a bit taken aback by the princess's sudden hug, but nonetheless, he hugged her back tighter than necessary. It was really lonely without her, and she was glad she was back to being all his.

"Hey, model!" Marco greeted her back as they let go from their hug. "I brought you something!" Marco pulled out a small bouquet of assorted flowers of different colors. Star was delighted and squealed as she took the flowers and gave him another hug.

"Marco! These are absolutely beautiful! Thank you!" Star exclaimed, taking a whiff of the bouquet's mixed scents. She hoped Marco wouldn't bring up what happened up on that stage.

"Of course, you deserve them! You were amazing out there! I just have one tiny question…" Marco began. Star sighed, cutting him off.

"I'm sure it was a mix-up, I already had my hair and makeup done, so it was too late and I decided to do it. Plus they gave me the outfit for free." Star held up the small white bag she was carrying for Marco to see. "JACKPOT!" She erupted in a fit of laughter, and soon after, Marco joined in on her laughter. He didn't know what was it, but her laughter was absolutely contagious. It might just be his favorite sound in the world. Soon, they were walking back toward the car.

"It is a pretty great outfit. Y'know, for, um, nighttime activities…" Marco added sheepishly, blushing madly at the thought of Star using the outfit privately—for him. He slightly shook his head as to shake the thought off.

"Thank you…?" Star halfheartedly thanking her best friend, a small chuckle ensuing from her. After that, the next few feet they were walking were completely awkward as they looked away to their respective sides until Star remembered a very important piece of information as she felt a crumpled up napkin in her pockets. "Hey! The models invited us to a beach house party tonight at 9:30. You wanna go?"

"Us? They invited me too?"

"Yeah, silly! So, what do you say?" Star eagerly awaited his answer, her eyes gleaming with hope that he'd say yes.

Marco fiddled with the idea of going out tonight before answering with "Well, we have nothing planned for tonight. Let's go!" As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Marco felt Star's hand grab his as she hurried to the car as she cheered.

 **Wednesday Night, 8:45 PM**

"Star, you almost ready?" Marco called to the bathroom while looking at himself in the mirror, making sure he was set to go.

"Yep!" Marco turned around to see his best friend in a short red dress, small black pumps, and her hair still perfectly done from the shoot. "How am I lookin'?"

Mesmerized at how beautiful Star was, he replied "Absolutely amazing."

That earned a giant smile from Star as she walked toward him. "Thanks, Marco! You don't look too bad yourself!" She said as she smoothed out one of his sleeves of his black button-up. Star could feel the indentions of his muscles vaguely as she did this, but she quickly maintained herself as she changed the subject. "Now let's get ready to PARTAY!" She shouted, grabbing her jacket and Marco's hand as they headed out the door. As soon as he caught up to Star, she let go of his hand "Y'know, maybe this party will be good for you!" She said, pushing a button on the elevator.

"What? Why?" Marco inquired, looking at Star.

"Because we never go to big parties like this!" As she said this, the elevator opened up to the two teens. "Plus, maybe you can get yourself a cute model" She added, smirking and nudging him as she clicked on the button to the lobby. Marco knew she was only teasing him, but what fun was it if he didn't have a little fun himself?

"Why would I want that? I already got one right here!" Marco replied, side-hugging the princess while chuckling to himself. He didn't even have to glance at her to know she had a not-so-amused face, with a small knowing smile.

"Shut up" She replied, laughing a little harder and hitting his arm lightly as the elevator opened on the 1st floor. They walked out, greeting the concierge before heading out to their car. And soon, they were on their way to the wildest night of their lives.

 **Wednesday Night, 9:45 PM**

"Is this it?" Fifteen minutes of getting lost, Star and Marco finally made it to their destination. He looked out the window, staring at the beach house before them. The front of the house looked as calm as ever. Then, the faint bass of music began, coming from what seemed to be the backyard of the house.

"Yeah, I hear music! Let's go!" Star jumped out the car immediately as Marco trailed behind. They knocked on the door, signed in, and just like that, they assimilated into the party. They looked around the house, admiring the decorations and designs. Marco was sure it was a lot calmer with less people drinking and dancing all around. Soon, they heard a voice call out.

"STAR! You made it!" Helena squealed, hugging the 18-year-old princess before turning her attention to Marco. "You must be the famous Marco!"

 _Star must've talked about me to them,_ Marco thought as he blushed and smiled at the model. "I guess I am! Nice to meet you!" Marco stuck out his hand for the model to shake.

"I'm Helena!" The model took his hand as they exchanged names. Soon, she turned looked at both of them. "Well, the drinks are flowin' and the music's blasting so let's get to partyin'!" She shrieks as she spots some other partygoers arriving, holding her cup. Star and Marco laugh slightly at her obvious state of being a bit tipsy as they entered the house more to get to the backyard of the house.

Both were equally amazed at how elaborate the backside of the house was. There were dozens of different colored lights illuminating the pool, hot tub, dancefloor, open bar, a DJ. Just ahead, you could see the sandy beaches in the background. And to top it off, there was a small glass balcony peering down at the backyard. They looked around, taking it all in.

"This place is so beautiful!" Marco commented.

"No kidding! I gotta take some ideas for castle renovations back home" Star laughed, still looking around. Just then the voice of the DJ boomed through the speakers grabbing everyone's attention.

"Alright folks, I've been getting requests for a different kind of dancing, so grab a partner and get ready to enjoy the ride." As soon as he said this, soft mellow bachata music started playing.

"Ooh, Bachata! I love this type of music!" Marco exclaimed, swaying to the sensual beat playing through the speakers. "This type of music plays all the time at quinceañeras and weddings!"

Star nodded her head to the music before Marco tapped on her shoulder, holding out his hand "Wanna dance?"

Star was surprised for a second. She always considered herself a pretty decent dancer, but that was in ballroom dancing and such. "Oh, well, I don't know how to dance this, Marco…"

"No worries, I'll show you!" Marco said, still having his hand out.

"Well, you are a pretty good dance partner" Star contemplated, her mind racing back to their Blood Moon Ball, when Marco swept her off her feet. "You know what, why not!" And with that, Star took Marco's and as he eagerly led her to the dancefloor. There weren't many people on the dancefloor; as Marco expected, but that was fine by him.

"Alright" He started, as he was standing in front of Star. He set her free hand on his shoulder first before putting his hand on her lower back. "Now, this is gonna sound weird, but I want you to put your right leg between mine"

Star gave him a weird look as her emotions and thoughts ran wild before hesitantly positioning her right leg between his. "Like this?" She asked, looking up for reassurance.

"Perfect. Now, get a little closer to me" Marco applied pressure to her back to move her closer to his body as he said this. "Alright now, just follow my lead, okay?" And with that, Marco set her off in a few easy steps: step, step, pop, step, step, pop. As soon as he felt she got the hang of it, he started adding more as they went, Star following along and smiling. Star felt as if this type of dancing was far more sensual than anything she had ever done before, but it didn't feel as awkward as it would've been with anyone else. She felt the music as Marco guided her, speaking to her softly so that she knew what he was going to do next and so on. They were so enthralled in one another, they didn't realize other partners were coming on to join them, trying to mimic their moves.

A few more songs later, and the DJ's voice fills the speakers once more. "You guys were great! Let's give a round of applause to everyone! Now, we're going to speed it up a little, so make sure you get on the dancefloor if you're feelin' the music!" And just like that, the music genre completely changed. It wasn't until then that Marco and Star felt tired from all that dancing. They decided to take a small break from dancing to grab a snack and some water at a nearby table. Just as they are finishing their water, Star spots Helena and Isabelle coming toward them, cups in their hands as they're dancing.

"STAAAARRR! MARCOOOO! Man, I saw you guys dancing to those partner songs just now. You were soo good!" She shouted, giggling at them, then she turned her attention toward Marco "Marco, you know how to _dance!_ "

Marco blushed slightly, laughing softly. "Thank you!"

"OH MY GOD! THIS IS MARCO?! HI! I'M ISABELLE!" Isabelle chimed in, turning her attention to Marco as well, letting out a few hiccups after.

Marco knew they had to be pretty drunk by this time, so he played along. "Hi, nice to meet you, Isabelle!"

"Oh my god have you guys had anything to drink yet?" Isabelle gasped dramatically, lowering her head toward both of them as if she were telling them a secret.

Marco saw Star's mouth open to say something, but he was quick to cut her off. "No! We actually can't. We're underage." He explained.

Star narrowed her eyes, trying to remember something. "How old do you have to be to drink alcohol again?" She asked.

"21"

"Hmm…" Star nodded before poofing up two fake IDs. "Happy 21st Birthday, Marco!"

"SWEET THINKING, STAR! We'll be right back! See you!" Helena exclaimed before dancing off with Isabelle to meet up with Giselle.

"Star, no! We can't do this!" Marco protested.

"Oh c'mon! Please?" Star begged, giving Marco the face he'd always give in to.

Marco sighed. He could never say no to a face like that. "You're not letting us leave this party without some alcohol in our system, are you?"

"Nope! Now c'mon! Let's go!" Star said before grabbing his hand yet again to move him to a bar stool.

"Alright, Star, now nothing too strong, okay? You've never had Earth Alcohol before." Marco warned.

"Relax, I'm sure it can't be that different from Mewni Alcohol! And I've been drinking that since I was 10 years old." Her face then turned pretty smug, almost proud. "I guess you could say I have a pretty high tolerance."

Marco laughed slightly, shaking his head at his best friend. "Whatever you say, Star. Why don't you start with one drink and see how you feel after, yeah?"

"Yeah, that sounds reasonable." Star nodded just in time for the bartender to attend to them. And so, one drink later for both of them, Star was already feeling the effects of Earth Alcohol. First stage: happiness and bliss. "Wow, Earth Alcohol is great! This is great! I feel great!" Star turned to Marco, a big smile on her face.

Marco turned to look at Star and laughed lightly. "Star, are you already drunk?"

"Nope! Let's order another one!" Star shouted, motioning the bartender their way as she let out a small hiccup.

"Star, you're drunk" Marco assured her, putting his hand on her shoulder as a way to try to stop her from getting the bartender.

"ANOTHER ONEEEE!" Star screamed, laughing hard as the bartender came over. Seeing Star this happy was kind of entertaining for him, and so, he went ahead and treated himself to another round as well. It was a party after all; why not enjoy it?

And a few drinks after that, the two were almost completely gone. Marco noticed Star's behavior had shifted from happiness to something a little more sensual. Now, she was biting her lip more frequently as she sucked on the toothpick the olive in her martini came in. She then turned to Marco, a faint look of lust in her eyes.

"Marcooooo" She raised her voice as the music got louder, pounding in their ears. As she called out for his name, she put a hand lightly on his knee. Below the bar, her leg was slowly intertwining with his.

"Yes?" He answered, laughing a little from nervousness.

"Let's go daaaaaance!" Star then reached for both of his hands, giggling and hiccupping. Marco was laughing a little more now as he nodded and lead them both to the dancefloor wobbly. By this time, there were way more people on the dancefloor than before, causing them to stick to one another as they found a spot in the crowd. The movement of the crowd inched the two to waste no time dancing as they felt the beat of the music take over. As they moved their bodies in perfect sync, the crowd's body heat as well as their own had gotten to them.

Sweating, Star had an idea. "Let's go onto the balcony." She whispered in Marco's ear.

Marco was sure he had felt a small nibble on his earlobe as he heard Star say this, but for once in his life, he blamed it on the party and managed to muster out a small "Okay" before he felt his hand being grabbed by Star's and being led to the balcony. The two were trying so hard to walk straight on their own, but they ended up having to take care of one another, laughing as they saw how ridiculous the other was. It took longer than usual, but finally, they were up on the balcony, watching the party from above.

"Wow, this view is awesome!" Marco exclaimed, holding on to the rail, admiring the party scene.

"I know!" Star agreed, holding onto the rail right next to Marco. A few minutes went by as they watched the party before Marco caught Star slightly swaying her hips still holding onto the rail. "Ah, now I wanna dance again!"

"But we just got up here!" Marco protested. He would much rather be on the balcony alone with Star instead of the midst of people back on the dancefloor. As soon as he said this, he felt Star's arm sliding around his neck.

"We can just dance here!" Star said, a small lustful smile forming across her lips as she danced closer to his body, motioning his neck to get closer to her. They dance closer than they were on the dancefloor despite having more room to move.

They looked down at their intertwined bodies as they held one another for support before slowly looking up and straight into each other's eyes. The gravitated closer to one another, putting their foreheads on each other's, aching for the touch of their lips until finally, they equally went in for the kiss long anticipated. And with that, they melted into each other; increasing their passionate kisses as time went by.

Star trailed down from Marco's lips down to the crook of his neck, never breaking contact with his skin on her lips. Her lips found an open spot on his neck as she began sucking and kissing his neck. Marco let out a sigh of content as he felt the pressure being applied to his neck. Upon hearing this, Star was pleasantly surprised, smiling against his neck before kissing harder each time. Marco let Star have her fun, closing his eyes and ruffling her hair, embracing the moment before he lifted her chin, stopping Star.

"My turn" He whispered before kissing her passionately a few times. He kissed her, feeling Star's hand rubbing the back of his neck, aching for more. He then traveled down to her neck, instantly hearing a small moan from Star.

"Mmm…Marco?" Star breathed out.

"Mmhmm?" Marco replied, still kissing her neck, applying more pressure as time passed.

"Let's go—mmm" Star was cut off from the pleasure she felt.

"Go where, princess?" Marco breathed out, still working on her neck.

"Hotel—" Was the only word Star could muster out as she felt a small bite on her neck. Marco slowed down the pace, kissing her once on the lips before resting his forehead on hers.

"Okay, I'll call a cab."

Surprisingly, they had managed to sneak out of the party without anyone noticing. The whole ride in the cab was pure torture, however. They both were feeling it, and after what happened on the balcony, it was hard to contain themselves. It felt like ages before they were in the hotel elevator alone again. Immediately, the two were like magnets, sticking to one another, back on one another's lips as they reached their floor, and once again, the two had to contain themselves as they walked toward Room 1609.

And finally, Star heard the hotel room door click and lock. Immediately after, Star pinned Marco against the door, regaining her lust as she kissed him hard, feeling his hand travel down to her back. They kept against the door until Marco walked toward her, hoisting her up against her body. As if second nature, Star wrapped her legs around his body, never breaking the seal between their lips. She felt Marco making his way to the heart-shaped bed, drop her on it, get on top of her, and go straight to kissing her neck. A small voice in the back of head was telling him this was wrong. This was his best friend. He shouldn't be doing this. But as soon as he heard Star's small moans, his mind went blank. And before he knew it, his back was now on the mattress as Star sat on his stomach, kissing his neck as she proceeded to unbutton a few of his buttons. Marco held her close, finding the zipper of her dress, and pulling it down. Star pulled her dress half-down, leaving her in her bra and bottom part of her dress. Before she went back to kissing Marco, she finished unbuttoning his shirt to which he helped take off. Upon seeing his tanned muscular body, Star couldn't help but rub his chest sensually, smiling lustfully at him before she moves down to sit on his thighs to begin undoing his belt.

It wasn't until he heard the clank of his belt buckle that he regained his sanity. "S-Star?"

Star still had every intention of doing this. "Mmhmm?" She replied.

"We should stop…" He said, sitting up to face Star who was now looking at him. She was confused. Why did he want to stop now? "We're not ourselves right now. We're drunk" He said, the lust in his eyes washing away as he brushed her cheek lovingly. "I would never want to take advantage of you while you're this vulnerable"

Star understood. Though her body ached for him, she knew this wasn't what she wanted. She wanted to remember this moment, and that wasn't going to happen if they were both under the influence. "You're right, we're not thinking clearly" She replied as she got off of Marco. "I'm going to get ready for bed."

As soon as she disappeared into the bathroom, Marco got up to change into his usual pajama pants as well. He thought about trying to find his t-shirt, but his head was pounding so much from all this excitement. He didn't dare try to give himself anymore stimulation. He walked slowly back to bed, having two bottles of water waiting for them as Star walked out in her model lingerie.

"Star, I mean this in the nicest way possible: where are your pajamas?" Marco questioned her.

"Suitcase. Too lazy to find them. Only thing in the bathroom" was her answer as she crawled back onto a shirtless Marco to which he grew concerned.

"Star, we can't…"

"I know, I just…" Star's voice trailed off as she looked down at herself.

"What? You can tell me." Star didn't have to use words to let Marco know what she wanted. She smiled, lifting up her chin and giving her a sweet kiss on her lips before giving her a water bottle. "Make sure you drink some, okay?"

"I will" Star said, drinking a few gulps before getting off Marco, setting the water on her bedside and crawling back beside Marco this time, her head resting on his bare warm chest.

Marco looked down at her as she slept soundly. "Buenas noches, mi princessa bella" He whispered as he kissed her blonde hair, turning off the light, and falling asleep soundly. What a night.


	8. Competition

**Thursday Morning, 9:30 AM**

The next morning wasn't exactly the best for the 18-year-old princess. Star's eyes fluttered open as she felt her head throbbing terribly. The blonde sat up slowly, her hand instantly feeling her forehead. "Oh my god, this hurts…" She exclaimed to herself, rubbing her temples.

It wasn't long before her best friend woke up from Star's groaning. "Star?" She heard Marco's voice ask sleepily.

"Marco!" Star exclaimed, looking over at Marco. "My head really hurts!"

Marco stared at Star before chuckling softly. "You just have a hangover. We had quite a bit of alcohol last night." He explained.

"Is that why I don't remember anything?" Star questioned.

"Yeah, alcohol can make you forget a few things. I myself have don't have a clue what happened last night."

"Is your head pounding as much as mine?" Star asked innocently, looking back at Marco.

"Probably not, but it does hurt a little."

"Well that's not fair!" Star exclaimed, sinking back onto the bed. "I feel like I got run over by a stampede of warnicorns"

"Your body's probably only used to Mewni alcohol is all. Your body took a bigger hit than mine." It wasn't until he looked down that he realized he was in his pajama pants, but he didn't have his t-shirt on. "Wait, what the hell? Why am I shirtless?" Star sat back up, and just in time for Marco to see what Star woke up in. "And why are you in your lingerie outfit?"

Star looked down at her silky mint outfit. "That's a good question…" Wide-eyed, she suddenly stared back at Marco. "I hope we didn't do anything…you know… _stupid_ …"

"I sure hope not. That would be _really_ awkward…" Marco shrugged it off, before looking over his shoulder to grab his phone. Star, still staring at her muscular best friend, caught sight of his neck, exposing his hickeys. As soon as she saw the red marks on his neck, sudden flashbacks appeared in the blonde's mind, as she faintly remembered being responsible for them. Almost instantly, she got a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.

She pushed her hair behind her ears, trying to avoid eye contact with Marco as he got back to facing her. Marco looked back up at Star, who was looking to the side. He too noticed red blotches on her neck. "Hey, what do you have on your neck? Did you get bit by something?" Marco asked, crawling closer to Star.

Star still couldn't bring herself to look at Marco. Especially when he was really close and half naked. "You could say that…" She mumbled, still looking to the side.

"Hm, that's really weird." Star then felt his fingers grazing over her neck, sending chills down her spine. It was almost soothing to her, how gently he was touching her. "Did the rest of you get bitten?" He asked, now going from her neck down to touching her arm to check if she had any more marks. That was when Star felt a massive amount of butterflies in her stomach.

"I—I'm fine!" Star jerked her hand away from Marco, still looking the other way. Marco was still looking at her before he heard her mumbling, "I think I know what they are…"

"Hmm? What?" Marco asked him. "What are they?"

"Umm-Go look at yourself in the mirror…" Star said. Marco slowly got off the bed and walked to the mirror, Star slowly regaining the strength to look at him. Marco took a good look at himself before he noticed the same red marks on his neck. He knew exactly what they were. Wide-eyed, he turned back to Star. "Did we…?"

Star looked back at him, mirroring his look, nodding. "It's like, 99.9% possible…"

A small moment of silence was needed to let that information sink in.

"I'm so sorry!" They both blurted out, looking at each other, the same worried expression on their faces mirroring one another. They both stared at one another, unable to say anything, before Star suddenly started laughing quietly trying to suppress her laughter as much as possible.

"Why are you laughing?! We both don't know what we did last night!" Marco exclaimed. That only made Star laugh even more.

"I'm laughing because we're terrible" She begins laughing even more. As contagious as her laugh was, Marco began laughing a little with her before she stopped.

"C'mere" Star asked Marco softly, a smile still painted on her face. In Marco's mind however, reality got warped into fantasy as he imagined Star sexily looking at him speaking in a low, sultry tone before it went back to normal. He walked closer to her cautiously, a sly smile on his face to indicate he was teasing.

"I don't know if I should trust you now that I know what you're capable of…"

"Oh, shut up and get over here" Star laughed motioning him to get back on the bed beside her. He complied, sitting right in front of her. Instantly, Star reached over to the side of his neck to inspect her work on Marco. "Man, I did quite a number on you" She said, rubbing her thumb on his hickey, his heart rate skyrocketing. Star continued running her fingers along his neck, and just as soon as he was beginning to enjoy her soft touches, Star immediately snapped up.

"Ooh, I know!" She jumped, snapping Marco out of his trance. "Makeup!"

"Makeup?" Marco questioned his best friend.

"MAKEUP!" She answered, her smile broadening as she ran into the bathroom to grab something. She ran back onto the bed in facing her best friend, a makeup sponge and foundation bottle in her hand. Just as she pumped some on her hand and was getting ready to cover his neck with the makeup, Marco grabbed her wrist to stop her from doing so.

"Whoa, wait! We are _not_ the same complexion…" Marco explained, putting his arm next to hers to see the difference. Star nodded in agreement with her best friend.

"Ah, true…" Star looked down at the small amount of foundation as she thought of how to fix it. "stay right here!" She jumped up again, getting another small pump from the bathroom, this one darker. "Okay, this is way too dark, but I'm going to mix it in with the foundation to make it a little darker"

"Do what you gotta do to make it as unnoticeable as possible" Marco said, watching Star mix the two creams onto her hand, occasionally holding it up to his neck and face to see if she got the right color.

"Okay, this should do it!" She smiled, finally getting the right color before dabbing some onto her sponge. Marco tilted his head slightly as to give Star more access to cover her markings. He felt her sponge lightly tapping on her neck, and automatically Marco started laughing.

"Stop laughing! Why are you laughing?! You're messing me up!" She asked, trying to hold in her laugh as well, trying her hardest to get back to applying the makeup.

"Because! I feel like we're shooting a video of you doing my makeup or something!" Marco explained, stifling a laugh.

Soon, Star played along, looking into the distance as if there were a camera in front of them. "Hey guys! So, today, I'm doing the Do My Best Friend's Makeup Tag!" She announces as she looks back at Marco. "Aww, I'm gonna make you so pretty!" She declares, smiling as she pinches his cheeks playfully.

"Hey!" Marco protested, grabbing her wrist to get her to stop pinching him. They gaze at one another before Marco broke the silence. "It's your turn!" Star nods and smiles, moving her blonde hair to the side to expose her hickeys.

Marco examined the marks he made on her before putting some foundation on the back of his hand before applying it. He took the same technique Star had, gently tapping on her neck to try to cover up the markings. They stared at the marks, getting faint flashbacks at what happened last night. "I always promised myself that I wouldn't enforce hickeys. And yet here I am…"

Star nodded slightly in agreement. "Yeah, they are kinda trashy, huh?"

"Yes! Exactly! I've personally never been a fan." He said before applying the last of the foundation. "Alright, I think you're all covered up!" He says with a smile. Star looks back at him before he states something else. "Let's…not talk about this…ever…"

"Agreed." Star said, nodding. "This'll be our little secret."

"Pinky promise?" He asks, holding out his pinky.

"Pinky promise" She wraps her pinky finger around his as she said those two words, a smile growing on her lips almost instantly.

"Now, since the clouds are sorta gray, I was thinking we could do something indoors?"

"Soo, movies?" She asks.

"Hmm, we've seen quite a bit of movies, huh? Why don't we do something a little more…competitive?" Marco asked, his face turning into a smirk as he finished his suggestion.

Star looked at him. "We could either be thinking the same thing or something very different."

"…Arcade?" Marco asked, hoping that's what his best friend was thinking.

"Your idea sounds a lot safer"

He laughs, not even wanting to know what Star had in mind. "Prepare to meet your doom, Butterfly"

"Oh, you're SO on!"

 **Arcade, 11:00 AM**

"Alright, our game cards are loaded up, we're all stretched out, you ready?" Marco asked his best friend as they stood in the middle of the arcade, looking out at all of the video games.

"I've never been more ready in my entire life." Star answered, a look of determination on her face.

"Alright, first thing's first, we've gotta settle this once and for all: AIR HOCKEY" The Hispanic teen blurted out as he scurried to the air hockey table to claim it. His blonde best friend followed right behind him, taking the other end of the table. Marco slides his card and suddenly, the table starts spewing out air. Marco begins the game, and soon enough, he scores the first point.

"Hey! No fair!" Star protests as she grabs the puck from her slot.

"Totally fair!" He states back as he watches Star put the puck on the table. "I must say, I'm impressed that you're not switching up the rule—HEY!" Without even giving him time to think, the puck flew straight into Marco's goal. Marco looked up at Star who was looking at him with an innocent smile.

"Point, Butterfly!" She states, her smile intact as Marco begins to serve for the next point. Soon enough, the score is tied 6 to 6.

"Alright, it all comes down to this one serve" Marco stats, bringing the puck to his face before he slowly brings it down to serve.

"I'm ready" Star says as she crouches down, staring intently at the puck, Finally, Marco serves it and after a few trips back and forth, Marco finally scores the winning point.

"HEY!" Star screams out as Marco does a small victory dance. "You totally cheated" She declared.

"Nah, you just suck" He says, chuckling as she walks toward her and lightly brushes her cheek. Star sighed as she looked around the room for another game to play.

"Fine, then what about that one?" Star pointed to 2 small TV screens connected to a floor of four arrows pointing up, down, left, and right.

"Huh? DDR? Sure, let's go!" Marco replied, getting excited.

"Be warned: I'm a great dancer!" Star taunted, smirking at her best friend.

"Umm, excuse you, did you forget who swept you off your feet dancing countless times?" Marco retorted, going back to their waltz at the Blood Moon Ball.

"…Touché…" Star replied, also remembering their dance. But alas, she was still determined to beat Marco at his own game. Soon, the two play, and Star is the proclaimed winner by a couple thousand points.

"HA! In your face! Who's the best dancer n—" Star was suddenly grabbed by Marco who automatically dipped her, gazing into her eyes.

"You were saying?"

Starry-eyed, Star almost fell into his dreamy brown eyes before she snapped out of it. "You're such a dork, you sore loser!" She shouted, wriggling out of his grasp while laughing. Marco had let her go, also laughing at their small teasing encounter. For some reason, the tension and awkwardness they had at the beginning of the week was slowly fading away. Soon after a couple of other arcade games, Star was caught looking over at the bowling section of the arcade. "Ooh, bowling! That's what that is, right?" Star asked, looking up at Marco.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah! You wanna play?" He asks her, a small smile forming.

"You mean another chance at beating you? You bet! C'mon!" Star said, grabbing Marco's hand as she headed straight for a lane.

"Wait, wait, wait! We need shoes! C'mon!" He says as he pulls her the opposite way toward the shoe counter.

"Hello! Size 5 ½ for me please!" Star asks the employee behind the counter. He nods as he disappears in the back to get the shoes.

"Aww, tiny little feet." Marco remarks, laughing at Star's small feet.

"Shut up." Star replies, stifling a laugh. Soon, the employee comes back with Star's shoes and proceeds to ask Marco what his size is.

"9 ½ please!" He replies. Soon, they sit at their lane, putting on their shoes as Marco inputs their names into the system.

"Alright!" Star says excitedly, grabbing a pink bowling ball just as Marco finishes putting his name. "So how do we play this?"

Marco chuckled slightly at his best friend's cluelessness. "C'mon, I'll show you" He says as he walks toward their lane, Star following right behind him. He directs Star to the middle of the lane, just behind the black line. Right beside her, he keeps his hand on her lower back as he explains how to correctly throw a bowling ball. " Alright, so you're gonna put your fingers in these holes."

Star inserts one finger in each of the holes before holding it right to her chest.

"Good! Now, the next part is kind of hard to explain, so I'm just gonna guide you through it, okay?" And with that, Marco gets behind Star holding her shoulder. "Alright, you're going to take a few steps and stop just before that black line right there. When you're at that line and when you still have momentum, roll the ball really hard so that it makes it to the end and knocks down as many pins as possible in one go. I'm gonna help you for this first one so you know what you're doing."

"A-Alright" Star replies, feeling nervous as she felt Marco's breath on her neck, remembering of the occurrences of last night. The feeling was back, and she didn't know why or what it was. She walks down to the line, stopping just before it. Instantly, she feel's Marco's hand on her arm, and with both of their strength and aim, they knock eight pins over. "I did it!" Star proclaims, looking back at Marco with a huge smile.

"I know! Not too bad for your first time!" He smiles back, high-fiving her. "Now since you didn't knock down all the pins the first time, you get another shot. You think you got the hang of it?"

"Psh, yeah! I got this!" Star says confidently. She grabs the same ball she had, and begins her technique, with this time landing in the gutter halfway before the ball reached the pins. "Hey! What happened?!" Star asked in disbelief.

Marco couldn't help but laugh at Star's reaction. "That's called a gutter! If your ball lands in that lane, you get no points."

"Well, in that case, you should totally help me out all the time" Star says, a small smile forming.

"I can't! I'm competing against you!"

"Yeah, but…" Star tries to come up with a good excuse just to be wrapped up in his arms again.

"Aw, is Star Butterfly afraid of losing?" Marco taunts, frowning dramatically at his best friend.

Star instantly went from disappointed to determined in the blink of an eye. "On second thought, I got this." She proceeded to grab another bowling ball to try again and prove Marco wrong.

"Star, wait, it's not your turn!" Marco yells after her

"It is if I say it is!" Star says jokingly, sticking her tongue out a Marco, a smug look on her face.

"Oh no you don't!" Marco then proceeded to run to the lane just as Star turned around for her third "turn". Suddenly, she felt a pair of arms around her waist as she was lifted up off the ground.

"MARCO! PUT ME DOWN!" Was what she was trying to say in between her fits of laughter and trying to free herself as Marco swung her around.

"Give me the bowling ball." Marco asks calmly, still carrying Star.

"NEVER!" Star shouts.

"Give me the bowling ball and I'll let you go." Marco adds, laughing a little at Star.

"Ugh, fine…" After a bit of trying to release herself, the blonde finally gave up and handed Marco the ball. As soon as she had surrendered, Marco smiled, putting Star down and grabbing the bowling ball.

"But just so you know, I will be getting back at you." Star said, walking back down to the benches.

"Oh, are you now?" Marco asks.

Star nods smugly, a smirk slowly forming.

"Alright, sweetie" He laughs, turning around to get ready to bowl.

Upon hearing the word "sweetie", Star shouted after him jokingly. "I don't want your cute pet names! You know I hate that!"

Though Marco hears Star in the background, he keeps his concentration on the pins, and manages to land a strike on the first try. He turns around, a smug smile on his lips as he walks toward Star. "I know, why do you think I did it?"

"Oh, so _that's_ how you wanna play. Two can play like that." She mutters to herself as she smirks back at Marco. She grabs her bowling ball, playfully nudging Marco as they pass one another. She bowls, and proceeds to knock five pins down. She then heads over to grab another bowling ball for her next turn.

"Aw, how cute. You need two turns." She heard Marco taunt before she could grab her next ball. Instead, she turns around to face Marco and starts walking toward him. "Yes? Can I help you? Did you forget how to—"

Marco was met with a small peck on his lips by none other than Star. Marco, obviously stunned, saw Star with a huge smirk after she pulled away. With their faces still inches close to one another, Star lowered her voice. "I win…sweetie" . And with that, she smiled innocently, springing up to take her next try.

It took some time for Marco to gain his composure, but after he did, he responded to her kiss after she was done with her turn. "You know, I would've stopped with a simple punch in the arm" He laughed, winking before heading to the lane for his turn.

 _He drives me crazy,_ Star thought as she watched him bowl with an admiring smile on her face. The rest of the game ensured playful banter all the way through, though Marco ended up winning the entire competition for the day.

 **Thursday Afternoon – 3:00 PM**

It had been a fun day for the blonde princess and her best friend as they were walking back to the car.

"So, what's my prize?" Marco asked, smirking at Star.

"Well, I don't know, you won, why don't you choose?"

"Hmm…" Marco thought as he looked up, touching his chin as to appear that he was thinking of a prize, but in reality, he already knew what he wanted: Star. He wanted a chance to ask Star to be his girlfriend, but he felt it wasn't the right time. "I'll have to get back to you on that."

That earned him a dramatic sigh from Star. "So indecisive!"

"Hey! This prize has gotta be good! I never win anything against you." He retorted back. Star laughs halfheartedly as he joins in before it slowly dies down. "Hey, how's your hangover? Did it go away?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, I guess it did" Star hadn't even noticed her hangover was basically gone.

"Good. I was worried that all the lights and sounds at the arcade would make it worse."

"I think it helped me, actually."

"I guess Mewni hangovers are different than Earth ones" Marco chuckled before unlocking the car. They both got in on their respective sides, sitting next to each other awkwardly. They both were thinking about the small kiss they shared at the bowling alley.

"Star?" Marco finally spoke up, but while he called her name, he was staring down at her hands, wanting nothing more than to hold them.

She turned from the window to look at Marco. "Yeah?"

"Umm…about the kiss…" He began, fidgeting with his thumbs, trying to avoid eye contact as much as possible.

"I don't know why I did it, I could've just punched you in the arm like you said…" Star trailed on, looking ahead, also trying to avoid eye contact as much as possible.

"No, no. I—I liked it" Marco admitted.

Star immediately turned to Marco, her eyes widening a little, as that was not the answer she expected. "Y-You did?"

"Well, yeah, it was spontaneous, and nice." Marco said, shrugging.

"Well, I did have a little practice. Remember that musical I did 2 years ago?"

Marco laughed, remembering the musical production Star was in their sophomore year. She wanted to try acting for a bit. "You were fantastic in that."

"You have to say that; you're my best friend." Star said, slightly pushing on his arm, laughing along.

Marco, still keeping his smile, nodded in agreement. "Yeah, but you were also really good, I could ask anyone, and they'd agree with me! I can call Janna right now, she'd agree!"

She smiles as she hears her cell phone ding from a notification from her mother. As she opens it, her face completely drops. "Oh, no…"

"What? What's wrong?" Marco asked, his face fully converting to concern.

"It's my mom…she sent me a message saying she wants me to, and I quote, meet my future husband."

Upon hearing those last three words, Marco's heart sped up. "Wait, what?"

"His name is Prince Galax. He'll be in the kingdom next week. My guess is that we're probably part of some deal with our two kingdoms. Plus, I'm 18, and to Mewnians, it's outrageous that I'm not at least engaged yet." Star says, reading off the second message her mom sent her, with some added insight.

"So you have to marry some guy you barely know for a deal? That's not fair…" Marco says, equally feeling dejected, hurt, and angry.

Star sighs, closing her phone. "That's kinda what happens when you're royalty. You don't even get to pick who you marry sometimes. I mean, my mom got to choose who to marry but I think this is to prevent a future war happening. I mean, I don't have to get officially married until 23, but we'll probably have a long engagement if anything." She thinks out loud.

"Star, I—"

"It's okay, Marco. It's a queen's responsibility to do what's best for her kingdom." She repeats the words she's heard her mother say to her dozens of times. She looked out the window, feeling like all the freedom she had felt these past few days vanished. Shortly after, she felt Marco hold her hand, squeezing it gently.

"I know you're going to do everything in your power to trash that law as queen."

"Yes, but by that time, I'll already be married to Prince Irrelevant." Star said, shuddering slightly at her glimpse of the future. She wasn't even thinking of marriage in the slightest, but if she had to pick, it would be her best friend, the one she could trust wholeheartedly with anything. The one she really truly loved.

"Hey, if I know anything about you, it's that you won't let this fly." He smiles halfheartedly, now resting his hand on her shoulder.

This comforting led Star to finally look at Marco, and smile. He always knew what to say. He looked back at her, his smile staying intact before he leaned over and lightly kissed her cheek. "W-What was that for?" Star asked, touching her cheek slightly.

Marco shrugged, his smile growing even wider. "Thought you might've needed it in the moment."

Star smiled, knowing exactly what he meant. "I did, thank you."

"Now, you thinking what I'm thinking?" Marco asked, putting his seatbelt on.

"YouTube karaoke session?"

"Bingo!"

"No, that's after karaoke!" Star and Marco both laughed, and just like that, they were back to enjoying the rest of their spring break.


	9. Ferris Wheel

Thursday Night – 2:00 AM

Star heard the soft snoring of her best friend Marco sleeping beside her on their overly romantic heart-shaped bed. She lay wide awake, observing Marco's unconscious arm draped over her body. She had gotten quite used to waking up pretty close to Marco. It's not like they were doing anything wrong. She studied Marco's arm, rubbing the back of his hand with her thumb, sighing softly. Her thoughts were racing profusely. _If only we could be together, but we've said this already, we're nothing but friends. I'm sure you'll meet someone great in college, and well, I guess I'll be engaged to a prince. But even so, my heart will always belong to you._ She smiles sadly, kissing her own fingers lightly before resting them on his hand. She took another deep breath before curling deeper into the covers, falling back asleep.

Friday Morning – 7:30 AM

Marco opened his eyes immediately hearing his alarm blaring in his ear. He blinked a few times before raising his torso, noticing his arm was draped around Star's body. By this time in the week, they had found one another so close to each other, it was nothing to be embarrassed about. As long as they weren't making one another uncomfortable, they were fine sleeping so close to each other. He finally stops the alarm, sitting up and yawning. He looked over at Star, clearly unfazed by the resonant sound of the alarm clock, and tried shaking her awake. "Star, wake up" He half whispered.

Star mumbled incoherently, digging her face further into her pillow. "mmm, I'm up, I'm up…" before snoring again.

Marco shook her again. "Star, c'mon! We're going to the amusement park today!" As if he had said some magic word, Star immediately sprang up, wide awake in nanoseconds.

"We are?! Sweet! Why didn't you just say so?!" She exclaimed, smiling wide.

"I wanted this to be a surprise! And I know how much you love rollercoasters, but I can only handle so much adrenaline"

"I know, I know, limit to one fast ride per hour" Star smiles, knowing her best friend's amusement park rules. She stretches her arms up and stands up. "I'm gonna take a quick shower and then we can head out, yeah?"

Marco nodded in agreement. "Sounds good. I'm gonna grab us some breakfast." He watched the bathroom door close behind the princess, and headed downstairs. They were nearing the end of their week, and they had gone through so many emotions, it was ridiculous. They turned each thing they got thrown into the best experience of their life, just as they had always done. Marco headed toward the complimentary breakfast section, grabbing two plates and filling them full of all types of food before finally heading back up to room 1609. Marco opened the door to their room, setting their breakfast on the table just seconds before Star emerged from the bathroom. She looks over at the table, looking at all the food he brought.

"Ooh, muffins!" She perked up, grabbing a blueberry muffin and sitting beside Marco as he was eating a yogurt.

"So, any idea on what to do about this marriage?" Marco began.

"Well you see, as I was belting out Love Sentence, I realized, what if I already had a husband?" She said, as if what she said was an obvious answer.

"Wait what?" Marco inquired, thinking about all the possibilities that could mean, earning the increased pace of his heartbeat.

"Yeah! All I need to do is get Justin Towers to marry me and all will be well in the world. Simple" Star smiled, shrugging as she took another bite of her muffin.

"Star, that's not even close to solving your problem" He raised his eyebrow, stifling a laugh.

"I know that, I was just trying to make myself feel better." She admitted, her head instantly hanging down low.

Marco leaned closer to her, trying to level his face with hers. "Aw, c'mon Star, did you forget where we were going today?"

"Well, but, you said it yourself, you don't like riding a lot of rollercoasters and such, and it's no fun riding them alone…" Star reminded him.

"No, but…" He begins. "I know that my best friend isn't feeling her best right now, and if getting her to cheer up means I puke a little more than usual, then so be it."

Star looked up at her best friend, smiling wholeheartedly as she pulls Marco into a tight hug. "Why are you such a great best friend?"

Marco laughs, hugging her just as tight. "I guess all this charisma just comes naturally to me" His cocky tone nuanced in his response to her rhetorical question

Star returns his laugh before pulling away to punch his arm playfully before springing up and grabbing his hand. "Alright, breakfast's over! Let's hit those rides!

Amusement Park – 8:30 AM

After the strenuous parking game, Star and Marco finally step foot at the amusement park, ready to have the most fun of their lives.

Star looks around at the scenery before them. Lights, music, the brightly colored attractions, children laughing, the sun out, the cool breeze. "Oh. My. God. This is what heaven looks like, right? I'm sure of it."

Marco was looking at the map he obtained to really listen to Star's remarks. "Hmm, if we keep going straight and make a le—"

Star looked at her best friend, his nose in a map. "Marco!" She screams, yanking the map away from him, leaving him surprised. "For once, can we not live by a piece of paper? I've had to do that all my life."

"You're right, you're right. Okay, then. What's our first order of business?" Marco asks as Star peers out into the park.

"Hmm, let's start with something easy." She says, pointing at an intricate red rollercoaster. In other words, the opposite of easy in terms of Marco.

"You call that "easy"? Are you kidding me?" Marco asks, in proper disbelief

"Oh c'mon, it can't be that bad. Let's go before the line gets any longer!" She assures him, grabbing Marco's arm to get in line, the teenage boy reluctantly following behind her. They stood in line, leaning on the rails. They were both quiet, thinking of something to talk about to pass the time.

"Man, I can't believe prom's coming up so soon." Marco started.

"Oh, shoot! I totally forgot! Man, that means I gotta worry about prom _and_ a wedding?" She said, sighing in disbelief.

"Why don't you just worry about the prom for right now? At last that'll be a little enjoyable?" Marco reassured her. After all, she does need to get engaged before planning the wedding.

"Yeah, you're right!" She smiles, nodding. She really didn't want to think about a wedding right this moment. Especially to someone she had never met. "So, have you thought about who you're going to ask yet?" She asked, turning the spotlight to him instead.

"Well, I do have a few people in mind" He smiles smugly, as not to reveal who he was actually thinking of.

"You do?! Oh, now I really gotta know who!" She exclaimed, jumping up and down.

"I kinda wanna keep it a surprise…" He said

"Well, can you at least give me a hint?" She asked, still clearly excited.

"She's the most amazing girl Echo Creek has ever seen." He replied, and his reply was true. She was stunning.

Upon hearing his vague answer, Star sighed dramatically. "Ugh, that could be anyone! Can I guess?"

"Well, I wo—" Marco started, before Star cut him off by listing a bunch of their classmate's names.

"Janna? Brittany? Sasha? Chantelle? Veronica? Ooh, no, Gina!"

Marco shot her a look, not knowing if she was being serious with her guesses or not. "Really? _Those_ are your guesses?"

She ignores her best friend, thinking more about the girls in their class before she stopped, her eyes going wide. "Oh no, _please_ don't tell me you're going to ask your ex-girlfriend…" She began, really worried for Marco if that's who he thought he was taking to prom.

"Jackie? No! Why would I even think that?" Marco gasped. Marco and Jackie had a rather friendly breakup, per say. They still said hi to each other, but they have both found it best to stay friends. "Plus, she's already got a date."

Star nodded once she remembered one of the skater boys had asked her out during lunch a few weeks ago. "Right, right, right…" Star kept thinking, trying to slim down her mental list of potential prom dates for Marco.

Marco sighed, drumming his fingers along the queue line. "I don't even know if this girl is going to say yes…"

"If it makes you feel any better, I don't really have anyone in mind, so why don't we do this: If we don't score dates, why don't we just go together? As friends?" Star shot her idea to Marco.

"I'd like that idea" He smiled, taking her hand in his and giving it a small reassuring squeeze before letting go. And just like that, they were at the front of the line, waiting for the past passengers to exit safely so that they could lock into their seats, right next to each other. They could hear the heavy machinery, bars, and seatbelts being put into place.

"YOU READY, MARCO?!" Star screamed, a wide smile perched on her lips.

"NOT REALLY" Marco answered honestly, a look of fear filling his eyes.

"You'll be okay! Here!" At this point, she links her forearm with his. "To let you know I'm here with you!" She smiles at him reassuringly, and Marco returned the smile, more so to assure himself that he was okay.

 _Okay, Diaz. We got this. She's got you. You've got her, you're going to be o-,_ Marco stopped in mid-thought as he felt his body lunge forward in full force, looking like they were going to crash into the rollercoaster itself, only to have it turn away just in time. Marco screamed, out of fear at first, but as the ride passed and the more he heard Stars screaming and laughing, the more he began screaming out of fun, and before he knew it, he was waiting to be unbuckle to get off the ride.

"MAN. THAT. WAS…" Star began.

"AWESOME!" Marco finished, grinning at his best friend.

She giggled at his enthusiasm. "You really enjoyed it?"

"Yeah! And for once, I didn't projectile vomit all over the ride." She laughs at his answer before noticing they still had their arms linked. Marco noticed too, smiling and slowly untangling their arms. "Heh, I guess it's because I had you to keep me calm." He admitted to Star. She smiled wholeheartedly and was about to answer him before their moment was interrupted by the employee ushering everyone out of the ride. Marco get out first, turning around to lend Star a helping hand out of the ride before walking out of the exit and into the park once again.

"Alright, so you wanna do something a little bit more mellow?"

"What? No way! Let's ride every single rollercoaster they have to offer!" Marco exclaimed, looking around to see the next rollercoaster they could get on.

Dumbfounded, Star stopped Marco by getting in his way, reaching up, pinching and pulling his face. "Who are you and what have you done to my best friend?" She inquired the boy in front of her.

In one fell swoop, he manage to grab one of her arms and link his arm with hers in order to get her to stop messing with his face. "He's still on that coaster, wondering how he got out of that thing alive."

Star laughed, having Marco guide her to their next coaster. And that's all they did that day. They rode so many rollercoasters, ate bizarre treats that Marco did in fact throw up, but by the time it was twilight, they had made so many memories than ever before.

Friday Evening – 7:30 PM

"Man, this has been hands-down the best day of my life." She declared, a satisfied smile on her face.

"Correction, best week!" Marco started. "I mean, come on, we went to the coolest clubs, the best outdoor movie theater, you were a runway model for crying out loud!" He went on, listing their adventures.

Star blushed after he brought up her short-lived modeling career. That was one of the weirdest nights this past week. "Yeah, it was a pretty eventful, huh?"

"I'm really glad we didn't let a heart-shaped bed get the best of us."

She chuckles at their hotel room they were once so scared to step foot in "Me too." Star agreed. They were both linking arms, but Star trailed her hand down from his forearm to his hand and held it lightly.

He looks down at their conjoined hands, feeling a rush of butterflies in his stomach and smiling slightly at the sensation. "Why don't we ride one last thing?"

"Hmm? What could we possibly have left to ride?" Star asked, reverting back to see if we had missed a ride by mistake.

"Well, they just opened the Ferris Wheel" Marco informed her.

"They did?! It's been closed all day!" She turns around excitedly, watching the giant brightly colored wheel. "Oh my gosh! Let's go!" She tugs on Marco's hand, leading them to the last ride of the day.

Marco feels his body lunging toward the Ferris Wheel by Star, laughing at how excited something can make her. "Star! Slow down! It's not going anywhere!"

"No, but if we hurry, we get to be 3rd in line!" Star squeals, quickly landing their spot third in line. Before they knew it, they were loading into their own seat and were already going high. Star had loved Ferris Wheels on Earth ever since she rode her first one at the Echo Creek County Fair, and she was always mesmerized by the view. "It's so amazing up here."

"Yeah, it is, huh?" Marco replies, smiling looking at the sky before them and looking below them at the bustling amusement park.

"It's so much better than the one's back on Mewni. They catapulted you in and out of the ride." Star explained.

Marco shot her a look. "Y'know, your dimension used to weird me out, but at this point, nothing on Mewni fazes me anymore." He admitted. They both chuckle, admiring where they are in the world for a couple of minutes. Nothing could be heard but the faint sounds of the park below them. It was a perfect time for a confession, if one needed to be made. Marco took a quiet deep breath. _This is it, Marco. Now or never. You really gotta tell her,_ His thoughts were racing. "So, um, Star…"

She looks over at Marco, her eyes twinkling. "Yeah?"

"There's kinda something I've been wanting to ask you slash tell you."

"What's up?" Star asks, her head cocks to the side, her innocent eyes peering into Marco's, sending his mouth dry.

He sighs, rubbing the back of his neck with his right hand. "Well, this has been one of the best weeks of my life, if not the best."

Star furrowed her brow, thinking it was going to be something completely different. "Didn't you say that earlier?"

"Well, yes…" He chuckled. "But I never really told you why. It's because I got to spend all this time with my best friend."

"Aww, Marco! I was thinking the same thing!" She gushed, laying her hand on his shoulder.

Marco continued with his speech, failing worse every second. "…See and well, despite the fact that we live together and we're so close…" He stopped midsentence, turning away from Star. He didn't know if he could do this. He didn't even know how to word what he was trying to tell her, it was harder than he thought. _And it shouldn't be. She's your best friend. You tell her everything. Why can't you tell her this?_ There was his conscious again. "Gosh, I don't even know how to put this into words, I'm such an idiot." He mumbles, face palming. He took one last deep breath, turning back over to the blonde. "Star…"

Star knew her best friend better than anyone, but if anyone could see him now, they could tell whatever he was trying to confess was eating him alive. She instantly knew that whatever it was, it was hard to get out. She gave him a reassuring smile and nod, placing her hand on top of his, as to say _take your time, you've got this_.

He looks down at their hands, mustering every ounce of confidence he had. "It's gonna break my heart knowing you're going to marry someone you barely know in a few weeks." He started out.

Star let out a small sigh. "I know, trust me, it sucks…" She looks down to her feet, swinging them in the air and they reached a bit farther to the top of the Ferris Wheel.

"But I think it's going to hurt me even more to know that the girl of my dreams is going to be with someone who is not me." He finally says, slowly looking back up at the princess, awaiting her response.

A surprised and dumbfounded Star looked back up at Marco, looking into his chocolate brown eyes. "I—Marco…" She didn't know what to say at this point.

"I—I'm in love with you, Star." He said while looking in her sparkling baby blue eyes.

There was a small silence for the both of them. Marco waiting patiently for Star to respond, and Star trying to process what was currently happening. And just as it had hit her that this was in fact, not a dream and very real, Star's eyes welled with tears as she threw her arms around Marco tightly, finally whispering "I love you too, Marco".

They stayed in each other arms, embracing one another, never wanting this moment end before Marco pulled away. Marco stared into her watery eyes, wiping a lone tear streaming down her cheek before finally kissing her. And it wasn't a kiss of jealousy, of lust, of teasing. It was a real kiss. A kiss for when words could not express someone's feelings. A kiss that was long awaited for the both of them.

They kissed one another a few more times, loving the feelings that were attached each time they did. Finally, Star pulled away, resting her forehead on his. "I love this, I love being here with you, I love you. More than words could ever show, but I still, unfortunately, have to marry that Godforsaken prince…"

Marco shushed her quietly before she could explode with frustration. "Hey, don't worry about that right now. Let's worry about us and make the best of it, okay?" He reminded her. Star smiled slowly, nodding. She didn't know how, but he always knew exactly what to say. "There she is; there's my rebel princess." He mirrored her smile, kissing her cheek.

Friday Night – 9:15 PM

"Man, I never thought I'd be this excited to see this bed" Star says, coming out of the bathroom in her nightgown.

Marco eyes widen at her comment, teasing her. "Whoa, really?" He asked, smirking.

Star obviously didn't get the joke as she walked toward Marco, who was already on the bed. "Yes, really! I'm super ti—" She stopped once she got a look at Marco's stupid smirk and realized his joke. "Oh my gosh, you're disgusting!" She exclaimed, throwing a pillow to his face.

"Hey! It was a joke!" He laughs with her, throwing one right back.

"Hey! No fair!" She grabbed a pillow, instantly pelting Marco with the pillow as Marco got a hold of his own pillow and started defending himself from the princess. Before they knew it, they were at an all-out brawl with the pillows, laughing and giggling as they gave each other their best shot. After what seemed like forever, the two 18-year-olds were now exhausted, panting, and lying next to each other laughing.

Star regained her breath, looking over at Marco, admiring him. He felt a pair of eyes on him, instantly looking back at Star. "What? Do I have something on my face?" He asked, brushing his cheek to brush off anything he might've had.

Star shook her head, smiling back at him. "No" She said, giggling softly. "I just can't believe the place we're in."

"Really? We've stayed in this room for like four days now.." He says, furrowing his eyebrows.

"I didn't mean, like, our physical place, you dummy. I meant, like where our relationship is now." Star explained.

"I know, trust me, I've been trying to find the right time to tell you, but I'm happy it happened the way it did, and I'm ecstatic that I'm here in this moment, with you."

Star smiled before reaching over to him and kissing him slowly and passionately, savoring the taste of his lips. She truly couldn't believe she was here, kissing Marco, and it wasn't a dream. She finally pulled away, biting her lip lightly. "Bed time?"

"Mmm…wait" Marco replied, kissing her one more time. "Okay, now bedtime."

Star blushes at the surprise kiss before reaching over to turn off their lamp. And for the first time, consciously, Star rested her head on Marco's chest, hugging his torso as tightly as possible, as if someone were going to take him away from her. _I guess not every prince comes in crowns and white horses. Mine came in a red hoodie._ She thought, smiling before drifting off into a wondrous sleep.


End file.
